Sailor Moon, the Second Generation
by Evee Jade
Summary: They always warned Chibi-Moon, "Someday you will stand on your own, as a proud Sailor Senshi." That day has come. The 30th century, Neo-Queen Serenity, and the Silver Crystal are ancient myth, and Rini has been reborn into a future Solar System where the fate of her new friends, family, and life depend upon her mysterious power. Sequel to the original manga;)
1. Watcher

**Hey guys, thanks for stopping by! I appreciate the follows and favorites, and welcome any comments or constructive criticism you guys have :) I'm writing this based off of Naoko Takeuchi's original manga, so hopefully you get a 'manga-ish' vibe to the story. I'm using Rini's name, as well as Helios and Diana, but most of the characters are OC. Enjoy!**

Arc 1: Moon

Act 1: Moon Base

Scene 1: The Watcher

He had been observing the Earth for a long while now, how many years he could not say. He orbited slowly, his quick eyes, golden like the sun, missing nothing, watching every spaceship that came and went, he knew the timing of every satellite orbiting by. When the droid flew past, he could see past it's cloaking mechanism, though it was still just a miniscule purple streak against the foreverness of space.

In a heartbeat he had darted after the droid and snatched it up, holding the large-eyed cat face up to his own. It tugged against his grasp, the small antennae blinking, eager to continue its journey.

"Diana," he purred. "Where are you headed? What have you found?" He spoke rhetorically, for the droid's speaker was off and the screens it had for eyes remained blank. He allowed it to slip from his fingers, following after it as it smoothly streamed away from Earth.

After a time a small white orb appeared, glowing and growing larger as he approached.

"The Moon, then, is it?" he mused, more to himself than it. The droid whisked down toward the Moon's surface. He followed for as long as he was allowed, until his chest tightened and his throat closed, the invisible force field that threatened to suffocate him keeping him at bay. He strained, wheezing, grinning a hungry grin like a wolf on a leash. He then backed up just until his breathing returned to normal and began to patiently orbit the safe zone.

"I gave up looking on the Moon so long ago. You really think she is here?" he smiled into the deepness of space, blackness beginning to ebb from him like spilled ink in water. "I certainly hope you are right. It's time to wake up, Sailor Moon."


	2. Rini

Act 1/Scene 2: Rini

 _WAH WAH! WAH WAH!_

"Its time to wake up," the angel murmured above her, a gentle smile on his full mouth, platinum locks falling to one side as he cocked his head, watching her. "Its time to wake UP, PRINCESS!"

 _Blam blam blam!_

It was no angel. It was just Ryuu, shouting as he pounded his fist against the aluminum door to her tiny dormitory.

" _Naaaaahhhggh..._ " Rini hoisted herself out of bed before fully opening her eyes, trying to retain her dream man's ethereal image for as long as she could. It was no use. The visage faded like light-pierced mist. Scowling and sleepy, she pulled on a standard dark blue jumpsuit and ran a brush through her long, bright pink hair, efficiently twisting twin odango buns onto the crown of her head.

"You look terrible," Ryuu said as she stumbled out of her room and into the small, oval shaped living space she shared with him and their two parents. It was decorated with a small couch, two chairs, and a tiny square table where Ryuu was pouring coffee. "How could you possibly sleep through first morning bell?"

"I've been studying my ass off every night," grumped Rini, glaring at her brother, then glaring at the dark circles under her eyes in the small mirror by the front door. "I gotta go, I'm gonna be late."

"Rini!" she cringed at the sound of her mother's voice, calling from the next room.

"Was it because I said the a-word?" Rini mumbled to Ryuu, who shrugged as he loudly slurped his coffee. Rini shuffled across the living room and poked her head into-what was intended to be-the dining room. In place of a large table was the mobile infirmary bed where her mother lay, surrounded by beeping medical instruments and tonics of sorts.

"Rini," her slight, short-haired mother was holding a pink gas mask. "Don't forget your mask Rini. You left it at home yesterday! Haven't I taught you not to breathe the air out there? It isn't safe."

"Thanks mom," Rini mumbled, taking the mask and shoving it into her messenger bag. "I have to go, I'll see you after school." Her mom's dry, persistent cough was the only response. She was watching a holographic drama on her small computer screen and the actors had immediately reabsorbed her attention. Rini gave Ryuu a wave as she crossed the living room to the rounded front door.

 _Whisssssk._

The shiny aluminum front door let her out and closed behind her with a click of the auto-lock. Outside, the close, circular hallways of the clustered living pods had a familiarly stale smell, the smell of too many people and not enough fresh air. Rini was glad when she exited them for the larger, square, white hallways of the south Moon Base.

There were surveillance cameras at every corner, and Rini passed a cursing technician in a yellow maintenance jumpsuit working on a broken one a little further down. Three Moon Base scientists in white lab coats walked ahead of her, but soon turned into the small cafeteria off to the right. The smells of coffee and bacon made her stomach gurgle but she had no time to stop. A group of students hurried by, their blue jumpsuits identical to Rini's own.

"Rini!" One of the students, Teiko, greeted her with a hug. "You look awful!"

Teiko didn't. Half of her friend's brunette hair was long and silky while the other half was shaved close against her head in intricate patterns. Teiko's ears glittered with a dozen piercings each, and she had tiny freckles and soft brown eyes that glowed with happy energy, even so early in the morning.

"Thanks for the complement, Teiko. I overslept this morning."

"How could you possibly oversleep through first morning bell?" Teiko's disbelief mirrored Ryuu's from earlier that morning. "It's the loudest bell of the daily cycle!"

"Wow. Tell me more about it, like I haven't heard it every morning for the past 15 years!"

"Well, apparently, you haven't."

Rini rolled her ruby-colored eyes dramatically at her friend. They had just approached the neat, white transportation platform as a small tram was approaching. The destination sign flashed "Upper Education Center" and the girls stepped into the tram along with the other students.

"I feel like I've been studying more than I've been sleeping lately," Rini admitted to her friend as she took a seat on the grey plastic tram chair. Teiko remained standing, keeping balance as the windowless tram whisked down its tube toward the school. "Plus when I finally did fall asleep, I had the weirdest dream." Rini felt her face grow warm at the memory of her angel. Teiko winked.

"I bet I can guess what kind of dream you mean. Who's the lucky guy?"

"Nothing like that, you perv," Rini insisted, too quickly. Her blush deepened.

Teiko giggled and guessed, "It was with Masaru, wasn't it? Did you guys do it? Was he any good?"

"Masaru hasn't even been on this Moon Base for like a year!"

"And I bet you were so very, very happy to see him again." Teiko wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Oh, soldier boy, I've been waiting for you for so long!" Teiko's loud dramatics drew looks from the other students on the tram.

"Whatever, Teiko, like you have any idea what you're even talking about."

 _Ding!_

The tram stopped and the doors snapped open abruptly. Rini cooley pushed past her giggling friend and into the open entryway of the school, the windowless, grey and silver two-story space filled with students in the same regulation blue jumpsuits. The crowds filed down multiple corridors patterned by identical lockers and classroom doors.

 _Buzzzzz._

The session bell. Rini turned toward the right corridor, nearly colliding with another student. Blonde bun and stylishly oversized glasses agilely sidestepped her.

"Look alive, frumpy bunny," the girl sneered over her shoulder, not missing a step of her graceful stride.

"Good morning to you, too, Kotori!" Teiko put one arm around Rini's shoulders while giving Kotori a wave with the other. She then steered her friend safely toward class.

"Frumpy!" Rini whined.

"What did you expect? Did you even look in a mirror this morning?"

"Everybody sucks today."

Teiko laughed at Rini's pout, and the girls entered their morning session classroom. The room had no decorations and rows of solemn, grey, double-seated desks, one of which Teiko and Rini shared in the back of the class. All the students sat in front of matching, touch-screen computer monitors.

Their instructor, Mr. Noe, had thinning black hair that contrasted his white lab coat. He adjusted his round glasses before speaking. "Your grades from last week's exam have been evaluated and logged into the Moon Base educational system. Please log in and select the properly dated file to view your score."

Rini touched the folder on the screen, a 95% appearing. Teiko grinned at Rini.

"Looks like all that extra studying is paying off," Teiko said. Her own score was 78%. Rini craned her neck to see the monitor two seats ahead of them, where a red-headed boy sat with a 100% score.

"Not good enough for Placements," she grumped. Teiko placed a hand sympathetically on Rini's shoulder as Mr. Noe quieted everyone down and began announcements.

"Don't forget to brainstorm ideas for the final project tonight, as tomorrow you will be discussing them with your lab partners. Also, the educational science division has had a number of unlogged chemicals missing lately. Students, we encourage side projects but please remember that you are required to sign out any chemicals or equipment you wish to be using in your experiments.

Moving on to today's lesson. We will continue our study of the Moon's rapidly improving atmosphere and how it continues to affect us positively as both immigrants and first generation residents…"

Mr. Noe droned on and on, and as much as she tried to pay attention, Rini's mind began to wander back to her dream-and the warm feeling the angel's golden stare had given her.


	3. Thief

Act 1/Scene 3: Thief

At the desk two places ahead of Rini, the red-headed Donovich paid close attention throughout Mr. Noe's lecture, penning his notes meticulously. He used the empty seat of his twin desk for his messenger bag, where he kept 4 different notebooks for this morning's Neuroscience session alone.

 _Buzzzz._

The bell for second session. Students hurried to leave. Donovich waited until the classroom was mostly empty before asking Mr. Noe-

"Instructor. I was hoping to submit a final project by myself? I work much better alone."

"I understand, Donovich, but this final project is also an account of how well you can work with another. Being picked for a Placement may require your cooperation with fellow scientists, and the board needs to assess your performance on multiple levels in order to consider you."

Donovich was tall, but his posture was hunched. He only said, "Ok."

"You did very well on the exam, Donovich," Mr. Noe continued warmly. "My only 100% this time-" but Donovich was already leaving the classroom.

The halls were packed with students. A group of boys near a locker were snickering, and one of them pointed at him as he passed, making a rude face. He ignored them. A little further down the hall, a pink haired girl from his class smiled his way.

"Hi Donovich."

"Hey Rini."

"Headed to lab?"

"No, I don't have another session until after lunch," he mumbled the reply as he walked by, and as soon as she turned he did indeed slip into one of the doors marked 'Lab'.

The room was slightly larger than the one he had just left. It was empty and quiet save for the muted scuttle of caged rodents and reptiles the lab kept for student experiments. He flicked on the electric lights, which buzzed and glinted off of shiny glass beakers and silver Bunsen burners. Next to the sinks at the back of the room loomed a dark grey cabinet with a lock.

 _Slick!_

Donovich's key card unlocked the cabinet, revealing organized rows of varicolored chemicals. He snagged two large glass vials stamped with black hazard labels, one blue and one red. They clicked together as he shoved them into his messenger bag. A moment later he was back out the door.

The hallway was now mostly empty as students made their way to their second session of the day. Hunching his shoulders even more than normal, Donovich made his way to the tram platform, stopping cold when he saw her waiting there.

"K-Kotori!" he choked out her name, unable to stop himself. He felt his face turn bright red.

She stood with another girl, whose jet black hair was styled in braided, looped pigtails tied with neon green ribbons. Both girls turned toward Donovich, and Kotori raised a dark eyebrow just slightly over her amber eyes.

"What?"

"I-um, hey."

The girl with braids smirked. "Who is _that,_ Kotori?"

"I don't know," she turned her attention to the arriving tram. The girls stepped on, and Donovich followed.

"I took a mechanics session with you last year," Donovich babbled.

"So?"

"So, um, just, hey," he rubbed his head nervously. The tram doors whisked closed.

"Lets sit over there, Matsumi," Kotori cooley led the way to the far end of the tram.

"B-bye, Kotori."

"As if, you creeper," Matsumi sneered in his face before following her friend.

Donovich remained by the door, holding onto the top rail as the tram began to move, his face the same fiery shade as his hair.

"Weirdo," Matsumi had a few other students chuckling as well, and her particularly cruel laugh cut right through him. He clenched the rail harder, knuckles white, shoulders hunched. Luckily the next stop was his.

 _Ding!_ BASE MAIN CAMPUS flicked across the destination board.

The main campus of the Moon Base was an airy entrance hall with a domed ceiling and two large, quartz windows that allowed the pale sunlight to leak in. The room hummed with activity as base residents mulled about. Donovich walked past two green-clad eco-scientists comparing notes. A technician sat at one of the many public tables, finishing up computer work. A small, verdant arboretum in the room's center broke up the monotonous grey.

Base force police offers with metal badges and blinking security cameras dotted the room. Donovich hunched and hurried up the wide staircase to the cafeteria on the second floor.

"Yo, Dono!" Ryuu waved him over to a corner table where he sat with two others, smiling a large-toothed smile that shone whitely against his naturally tanned skin. "Right on time. Always so reliable, this one."

"We'll see about that," the slender blonde across from Ryuu had her upturned green eyes focused on Donovich. She wore the crisp coat of a scientist and had her hand held out expectantly.

Donovich reached into his bag but hesitated. "The security cameras…"

"What do you think we have Takeshi for?" Ryuu slapped the shoulder of the beefy man next to him, who sported a grey security uniform, a buzz-cut, and a scowl. "It's like you suddenly don't trust us. C'mon, c'mon."

The vials clinked as Donovich handed them to the blonde.

"Are those what you ordered, Sadie?" Ryuu asked. Sadie nodded in confirmation, casually dropping them into her coat pocket.

"Thanks, cutie," she purred at Donovich, smiling as he blushed.

Ryuu said, "Good job, kid, you've earned your map to tonight's odyssey. Doesn't seem like your type of thing, though. What's your motive?"

"I think it's more of a 'who'," Sadie perched her chin on the back of her hand.

Donovich squirmed under their direct stares. "I heard, I mean, is-is Kotori going to be there?"

Ryuu's grin broadened. "Probably. She sometimes goes. A little out of your league, don't you think, Dono?"

"That's not fair," said Sadie. "In an odyssey, anything can happen. Just come with an open mind, ok, lover-boy?"

"O-ok."

Ryuu said, "It starts a half-session after curfew in the basement level, I'll be sending out the route to take tonight, so watch your messages, my friend. Memorize it quick, I set the map to only last a minute or so."

"See you tonight, handsome," Sadie wiggled the fingers under her chin in a small wave. Donovich took the cue and walked away.

Takeshi said, "I don't like him. He's too pent-up."

"You don't like anybody, Takeshi," Sadie teased, "except for Rini."

"Leave my little sis out of this," Ryuu wasn't smiling. "He'll be fine. If things get out of control-"

"Don't you start with those negative thoughts now, too," Sadie interrupted. "Nothing will get out of control. Wix's new album is relaxing, and this new solution I'm creating is like liquid happiness. The third and final ingredient for a successful odyssey is…" she waited. Neither boy answered. "... your positivity!" She winked. "Got it, boys?"

"Don't say I didn't warn you two," Takeshi said.

 _Wah wah! Wah wah!_

Midday bell. Takeshi waited until it stopped sounding to continue, "Look, I have to get back to work, I'm still setting the video surveillance to play a pre-looped feed all along tonight's route."

"That's my cue, as well," Ryuu added, grabbing his tool belt from the cafeteria table, the metal tools clanking as he stood up. "This base isn't going to maintain itself. You heading back to the lab, Sadie?"

"In a moment. I'm going to enjoy some sunshine downstairs before I fully commit myself to that basement for the remainder of the day."

"See you tonight," Ryuu winked at her before following Takeshi out of the cafeteria.

 _Blip blip!_

Bobbing around the windows of the main campus, a floor below where the three friends were just parting ways, a small purple droid with cat ears and a curling antennae floated past, its large red eyes scanning the base inside…


	4. Diana Droid

Act 1/Scene 4: Diana Droid

"You _have_ to go to the odyssey with me tonight."

"Sanae, I don't _have_ to do anything," Rini responded in a hushed tone. Her two friends had found her in the cramped school library, where she had been busy hunting down a textbook.

"Yes, you do. Teiko isn't going! I need somebody to go with me!" Sanae was casually leaning her tall frame against a bookshelf, her exploding lavender curls tied up in a bright yellow bandana. She had a streak of motor oil across her fine-boned cheek.

"You can't let her go alone, Rini," Teiko stood with her arms crossed.

"Then you go to the odyssey, Teiko!"

" _Shhhhh_!" warned a busy student, studying in a tiny cubicle nearby. Rini glared at her friends.

Teiko lowered her voice, "Both my parents are Base Force Police Officers, Rini, you know I can't risk sneaking away."

"Neither can I! I have to study, and mom-"

"Your mother never leaves her room," Sanae cut short Rini's excuse. "And your dad is always working. You love Wix, her new album is suppose to be amazing, and none of us have ever experienced an odyssey. C'mon Rini, aren't you a little bit curious?"

"I am curious, but you guys, this year is almost over and I'm too busy trying to get a Placement. You two should be too."

"I'm not really worried about it," Sanae crossed her long sepia legs.

"Only the best typically gets Placed, and you're not the only mechanics genius in our year," Rini warned.

"I really am the best, though!" Sanae slid closer to Rini, until they were almost nose to nose. "You want to know why? Because I make time for fun. I'm relaxed, and I know everything is going to work out just fine. If they choose to Place a different student from the mechanics division, I'll just stay on the Moon Base with Teiko for another year." Teiko winked at Rini in agreement.

"I'm _not_ staying on this base," Rini ground out.

"Everybody our age goes to odysseys on Earth and Venus," Sanae persisted. "Do you really want to begin advanced studies on one of the Sister Planets without experiencing an odyssey? They'll think you're some kind of uncivilized Moon freak!"

"They're going to think that regardless," Teiko pointed out.

Sanae shrugged, "All the more reason to prove them wrong and to get as cultured as you possibly can before leaving this rural rock. It's suppose to be fun and safe, and you could really use a break, Rini. You've been sucking so much these past few weeks."

"I have not been sucking, I've been focusing!"

" _Sh_ _hhhhhh_!"

 _Buzzzzz._

Third session bell. Sanae fixed Rini with her large eyes, green ringed by brown and thickly layered with impossibly long lashes.

"You are _not_ leaving me hanging tonight. And I am just too good of a friend to allow you to miss out. I'll be at your living pod a half session before curfew so have your party pants ready, ok, Rini?" Sanae patted her friend's pink head.

"Not ok, Sanae."

Sanae only smiled and Teiko waved as they shuffled out of the library with the other students heading to next session.

Rini sighed grouchily, checked out her thick Neuroscience textbook, and shoved it into her messenger bag before hopping on the tram to the Moon Base's main campus.

 _Ding!_

She headed straight for the arboretum, whose trees and verdant fauna housed benches where residents could sit and enjoy the sun rays peeking in through the thick windows. Rini basked her pale face in the light, staring off into the afternoon sky at the faint outline of Earth.

"Hello there, Ms. Rini!"

"Hi Sadie!" her brother's scientist friend slinked up with a smile.

"Ditching class this afternoon?" Sadie teased.

Rini smiled back and shook her head. "These days I get my afternoons free. I thought I'd come soak up some sunshine, I always feel so much better when I can see it! I wish the schools and dormitories had more windows."

"The arboretum and windows were constructed so recently, before you were born the main campus had none! There wasn't anything to see then, anyways, just an eternal night sky even in the middle of the day. It's amazing how quickly the Moon's atmosphere and biosphere have been growing."

"Sadie…" Rini began carefully after a moment. "Have you ever tried getting a position as a scientist on one of the Sister Planets?"

"Competition for a Placement was just as steep five years ago as it is today. I was good, but not the best, and only the best get Placed elsewhere." Sadie changed the subject. "Has Ryuu invited you to the odyssey tonight?"

"Yeah right, Ryuu doesn't invite me anywhere. My friend Sanae has been begging me to go, though."

"You'll love it, Rini, it'll give you a whole new perspective on the limits of science. I've got to get back to the lab, but hopefully I will see you tonight!"

As Sadie left, Rini turned back toward the window and was face-to-face with –

"What the hell…"

On the other side of the glass, a small, circular droid was creeping eye-level with her, the ball at the end of its curling antennae blinking. Its large eyes were twin screens, fuzzy with static…

Rini shivered. _It-it's staring right at me!_

The droid's screens suddenly cleared, bright ruby pupils staring back into Rini's own. They blinked at each other.

 _Ping ping ping!_

The antennae began flashing rapidly, and the droid flew straight into the window.

 _Booooing_! It bounced off like a rubber ball.

"What the _hell_ -!" Rini backed up nervously as the droid collided with the window again. _It's trying to break through!_

"Sadie!" Rini shouted. "Somebody! Help! There's some kind of robot attacking the base!"

"Attack?" a cafeteria worker in a dark apron and matching hairnet ran over from his seat on a bench.

"What's going on?" a mechanic from nearby also overheard.

A Base Force Police Officer, dressed in an official black and grey uniform, pushed her way to the front of the gathering crowd.

"Where is the threat, miss?" she had on reflective goggles and a non-lethal Taser at the ready, though her gun remained strapped to her waist.

"Right there!" Rini was pointing, but the droid had cloaked itself and was now nearly invisible.

Target acquired, the droid hovered away from the windows, poking around the outer Moon Base for an alternative way in.

"We don't have time for pranks!" The officer snarled at Rini.

"It was just here-some sort of purple robot-droid thing with ears!"

"Living pod #109," she read the number that was sewn onto Rini's school jumpsuit. Taking out a hand-held device, she clicked in the information. "Your guardians will be receiving a notice of your actions! I suggest you head back to your dormitory or face further disciplinary action."

Outside the base, the droid whirred through the pale atmosphere, scanning the base for entry. It followed a small trail of smoke to a tiny pipe, where it squeezed through and popped out into a gleaming kitchen. An orange-clad Ryuu fixed a leaking sink while kitchen workers chopped, stirred, lifted, shouted-nobody noticed the droid as it dodged expertly around bustling feet and out the swinging doors to the main cafeteria.

Through the diners –

"Eh?" a technician did a double take, but the droid floated under a table, down the length and out the door…

 _Whirrrrr..._

Down the hall until it spotted the moody pink head it was searching for. It followed Rini onto the tram, rolling across the floor like a ball and hiding underneath a plastic seat.

 _Ding!_ LIVING QUARTERS, SECTION S flashed across the destination board.

Two other residents exited the tram with Rini, though they veered to the right of the fork while Rini took a solitary left. The droid followed, lightly bumping the back of her head. She turned-

"AAAHGH!" _Whoosh! Swooosh!_ The droid barely dodged the heavy textbook Rini used to try and swat it down.

 _Ping ping_! The antennae blinked. "I have been searching the for you," chirped a voice that sounded – human?

"W-what the hell…What are you?!" Rini demanded, keeping her book raised as she and the droid circled each other.

"I am Diana Droid. I have been sent to find and train you, Rini."

"H-how do you know my name!"

"You are very special, Rini. You are a Sailor Scout, a sensei whose destiny is to protect this Solar System!"

Rini blinked at the droid, taking in her words. She lowered her textbook slowly, shaking her head.

"Sanae," she said. "I should have know. Ha-ha, very funny." Rini put her book away and snatched the droid from the air. "Diana Droid, huh? Cute design, what exactly is it?" she flipped the droid over, inspecting it.

Diana Droid pinged indignantly and wrestled from Rini's grip. "This is a serious matter, Rini. I've flown all the way from Earth in search of you. I need your help. I have a mission for you."

"Honestly, Sanae, this is too much. Look, you were right, I could really use a break for one night. I'll go to the odyssey with you, ok? You've convinced me, just cut it out already!"

"There is an evil lurking just beyond this Moon's atmosphere that wishes to destroy everything you hold dear. It is looking for a way onto the Moon Base-in fact I fear that it may have already found a way! You must act quickly, Rini, or it will be too late!"

Rini rolled her eyes. "I really don't have time for this, Sanae. I have so much homework to review before we head out tonight." Rini began walking away. The droid followed.

 _Ping ping ping!_

"Rini, you _must_ listen to me-"

Rini reached living pod #109, the robotic eye scanning her face before allowing her to enter. The aluminum door slid shut in Diana Droid's face.


	5. 109

Act 1/Scene 5: #109

"Rini, is that you?" mother's voice. Rini sighed and entered the former dining area where her mother lay with her head propped on a crisp pillow, greying-brown hair haloing her puckered face.

"I received a message from the Base Force Police Officers, Rini- pulling pranks? Wasting their time? How could you?"

"It was a misunderstanding," Rini spoke quickly. "See, there's this droid that my friend built-"

"How could you embarrass me with such behavior?" her mother's clouded hazel eyes narrowed. "You know how ill I am, Rini! You know I can't leave this living pod! I thought I taught you to be better than this."

"It wasn't my fault-"

 _Cough cough!_

Rini's explanation was cut short by one of her mother's frequent coughing fits. She began to wheeze, grabbing for a bottle of tonic that fell from her hand and clattered onto the floor. Rini picked it up for her, the sound of the television news buzzing in the background. She poured a swallow into the premeasured cap and handed it to her mother.

The woman sipped down the shot and lamented, "Am I really such a failure as a mother?"

"Mom, it wasn't so bad-"

"You are so full of explanations, Rini, just like your father, just like everybody here on this cursed Moon Base! Leave me. I want you to think about all of the people you've upset today with your careless actions."

Rini gladly retreated to her dormitory, leaning against the closed door and taking in her private space.

There was a narrow bed with a pink blanket decorated with tiny rabbits and moons. A rickety desk where her outdated computer sat, and a closet and plain pressboard dresser that neatly held all of her clothes. A small collection of posters covered her windowless walls. Rini's favorite poster was of the Earth pop star Wix, who was giving her a big, blue-eye wink and wearing to a pair of yellow headphones over her blue hair and top-bun.

"I've got to get out of here," she told Wix. Then she sighed as she sat down at her desk with a textbook.

Rini studied through dinner, and was proof-reading her history assignment when Sanae's face appeared on her computer monitor.

"I'm here!" Sanae sang at the electronic eye, and Rini pressed the button that opened the door for her friend. Sanae wore a sparkly jumper mini-dress that showed off her long, thin legs and had stuck tiny stars on her cheeks. Those lavender curls had been wrestled into plaits close against her skull. Sanae smelled like fresh lilac soap.

"Am I going to have to drag you to this party or what?" Sanae had her hands on her hips and was smiling with her lavender lips.

"I told you I was going to go. That cute little droid you made convinced me. I already picked out an outfit, see?" On the bed lay hot pink, high-waisted booty shorts and a sheer black crop top. The shirt had two pink hearts on it to cover her breasts, embellished by tiny shining rhinestones.

"Yay!" Sanae clapped her hands excitedly, her nails glimmering. "So get dressed already!" She began to rifle through Rini's make-up, inspecting the tubes as she asked, "What cute little droid are you talking about?"

"That little purple thing with ears. Did you build that for you final project?"

"I didn't make any purple droid-thing. What are you even talking about?"

"Sanae, seriously." Rini rolled her eyes as she wiggled into her outfit. "You got me. It worked. I'm going with you. Just end the joke, ok?"

"Girl, I have no idea what you are talking about. Here, hold still," Sanae began giving Rini some seriously smoky cat-eyes. "What exactly did this droid say to you?"

"That the forces of darkness would attack if I didn't go to the odyssey, or something like that. _You_ know."

"I think somebody has been studying a little too hard," Sanae said, brushing some sparkles on Rini's cheeks and placing an upturned crescent moon topped with a star in the center of her forehead. "There, perfect." Sanae pulled two wigs out from her small black backpack. "I brought you this to wear, too. It's for anonymity, in case the odyssey gets busted."

The blonde wig had silky, shoulder length curls and fit snuggly onto Rini's head. Sanae put a pin straight blue wig over her own plaits and adjusted the low bang.

 _Ting._ The sound came from Sanae's wrist. She brought up the holographic message. "It's the map to the party. C'mon, we gotta go."

The girls were nearly out the door before the voice of Rini's mother stopped them. The woman was focused on the television, and did not even glance at her daughter as she reminded her, "Don't forget your gas mask, Rini, the air out in the Base isn't safe."

"Ok, mom," Rini grabbed the mask and added to Sanae, "Let's go."

"Your mom is totally out of it," Sanae commented as they exited the living pod. "She didn't even notice your skanky outfit. Or that it's past curfew."

Rini didn't respond. She shoved the gas mask into her purse and followed Sanae down the hall. A few moments later Diana Droid bobbed along behind them.


	6. The Odyssey

Act1/Scene 6: The Odyssey

A sultry beat poured from behind the door of a discreet basement boiler room. Ryuu stood with Sadie, the pair watching the swelling crowd before them: girls in bright glowing outfits and boys wearing diamond-lensed goggles swirling around to the rolling bass.

"Not a bad turnout," said Sadie. Her skin-tight black dress had geometric cut-outs along her shoulders and waist. Her hips swayed in methodical figure-8s.

"And the night has just gotten started." Ryuu wore metallic grey pants and a dark pink crushed velvet suit jacket over a white t-shirt.

Takeshi made his way through the crowd toward his friends, his muscular frame easy to spot in a short sleeve button-down covered in a multitude of exotic flowers.

"Wix's music is inhuman," Takeshi shook his head, his attention focusing on the door as more people entered the room and melted into the crowd.

"How are we looking on security's end?" Ryuu asked him.

"My boy Vin is working tonight, he'll let us know if anybody gets caught. So far, we're good."

"I say we begin the odyssey now," Sadie suggested, holding up a neon purple substance, which moved like smoke within it's glass vial.

Ryuu ran his fingers through his dark curls and said, "We should wait just a bit, people are still arriving."

"You're stalling, Ryuu," Sadie green eyes were bright with interest. "Who are you waiting for?"

"Who would I be waiting for? My two best friends are right here!"

The beat shifted, the crowd whirling faster to keep up.

"This is _amazing_ ," Rini could barely hear Sanae over the music, but her friend's open-mouth grin said it all.

"I guess I'm glad you dragged me here!" Rini admitted, allowing the vibrations to coax her body into a sensual groove.

Sanae winked, and the girls kept pace as the beat sped up. They moved past the crowded heart of the room and off to the left, where Sanae waved to somebody through the crowd. Ryuu made his way over, and the two hugged.

"You made it!" Ryuu was grinning like crazy.

Rini stared in surprise between the two. "And just how long has _this_ been a thing?"

Ryuu blinked at her in her blonde wig. "Rini? You came, too?" He glanced around.

"Don't change the subject!"

"It's nothing, Rini, chill," Sanae cooley straightened her own wig.

Ryuu said to Sanae, "Hey babe, just give me one minute," and headed over to Takeshi. He put a familiar arm around his friend's broad shoulders and led him to the other side of the room, the swirling bodies washing in to fill their vacant space.

Rini glared at Sanae, " _Babe?!_ "

Sanae giggled, "It's no big deal!"

"Leave me alone, you little creep!" hissed a loud voice, and somebody shoved Rini from behind. She turned to see Kotori stalking past her, being watched by Donovich, who looked out-of-place in his school issued jumpsuit. Just beyond Donovich hovered Diana Droid, bobbing along above the waving arms of the crowd, antennae pinging.

"Sanae, look! It's that droid!"

But then Diana Droid was gone. Sanae gestured to her ears and shrugged-she hadn't heard. She moving between the crowd with liquid grace in the direction that Ryuu had gone, beckoning Rini to follow.

Rini started but stopped as Diana Droid reappeared in front of her.

It's high voice sounded, "Rini, there is much at stake, you must begin your sacred duty as a sailor senshi!" Rini glanced around, but everybody was too focused on the beat to notice the droid that floated eye-level with her, spouting nonsense.

"What or who even are you?"

"Rini, I am your guardian, and we are running out of time! You must listen!"

"Look, you need to leave me alone!"

Sanae had disappeared. Wix's clear voice began to sing a new loop within the mix-

"You're the one. You're the one. You're the one."

Along the back wall of the boiler room, Donovich stalked toward Sadie and Takeshi. He snarled above the din- "You promised that I could have anything I wanted tonight!"

Sadie smiled. "What I said was, tonight anything will be possible. Strap in, lover." She uncorked the vial, a purple substance pouring out from the inside. It moved like spilled ink, winding its way throughout the room, rapidly spreading.

"Breathe," she purred as the smell of burning tar and water and something floral converged on Donovich as one. "Relax." People began to stare upward, and he followed everyone's gaze.

Where the low ceiling had just been, the night sky impossibly yawned, wide and deep and alive with millions of stars twinkling in a rainbow spectrum. His mouth fell open and his eyes widened, reflecting the gemstone-like stars as they fell from the sky like rain.

Diana Droid flew into Rini's head as Rini moved deeper into the pulsing center of the room.

"Ow! I said go away!"

"I'm picking up all sorts of cosmic activity in this room!" Diana Droid's antennae was flickering like a strobe light. Her twin screen eyes flashed just as urgently as she flew directly in front of Rini's face and the shouted, "It isn't safe! Put on your gas mask, Rini, NOW!"

Automatically responding to the urgency in Diana Droid's tone, Rini snapped on her mask. She squinted her eyes as purple gas hazed the close space. The music bumped louder than ever, but people had stopped dancing. A girl with silvery hair next to Rini swayed slightly as she gawked at the ceiling with unfocused eyes.

"No way…" a hand swiped at nothing over Rini's head, and a boy in a silky t-shirt began to giggle uncontrollably, his eyes darting erratically around the room. Another girl in a sheer flowing skirt skipped out of the rolling mist past Rini, nearly colliding with her.

"Watch it!" Rini snapped, backing away. Nobody even glanced her way. Rini gripped Diana Droid, who was blinking like a beacon in the thick fog, and asked directly into it's speaker, "What is wrong with everyone?"

"It looks like somebody managed to formulate an odyssey," pinged the droid. "This may be bad, Rini. An odyssey opens a neurological rift in an individual's perception of space-time, which may invite in spectacles both spectacular and dangerous."

"Which means-what exactly?" Rini had backed into a wall, cool to the touch and vibrating gently to the bass. "It's all in their heads?"

"In a sense, yes, but a true odyssey can be as real as anything, Rini. Odysseys have changed people forever. People have been healed, have levitated, and have died. They have been banned on Earth for the darkness they bring, though on Venus they are advocated for their potential for good."

The stars wove through the crowd, whirling in time to Wix's song. Donovich extended his hand toward a falling sapphire-colored drop, which twined around his arm as though dancing with him, pulling him back toward the floor. He joined some others in chasing the stars, laughing as they twirled just out of reach.

A group of purple stars formed a ring like a crown of fire and settled around Sadie's blonde head. She sighed and stretched luxuriously, taking in the beauty of the scene around her. The music reverberated like a slow tornado, echoing throughout the galaxy.

"It's like nothing I've ever heard," Sanae gasped, laying a hand over her heart. She and Ryuu stood next to Sadie.

"Wix has a lot to do with it," Sadie admitted, her hands playfully conducting with an invisible baton. "Music is a key ingredient to controlling an odyssey. _Dizzeridoo_ is Wix's best album yet."

"Beautiful," mumbled Ryuu, watching Sanae. He wrapped a hand around her waist, gently pressing her closer to him. When her eyes met his, he eagerly kissed her and stars burst like mini fireworks around them, the effervescent dust settled dreamily in the couples' hair and on their red cheeks.

On the dance floor, through whirling arms, Donovich spotted Kotori. She stood still, her halter-topped cat suit hugging every curve. Her unbound blonde hair had sea green tips that reached her waist, and she held her head slightly cocked as she watched space unfold. He approached her, taking a deep breath.

"I'm sorry for creeping you out earlier, " Donovich blurted. "I wanted to dance with you, but my approach was all wrong." Kotori did not look away from the open space above. Donovich tried again.

"I think you're beautiful," he admitted. "This odyssey is the most amazing spectacle I have ever seen, yet somehow you manage to outshine every star."

"There are stars?" this time Kotori faced him, and her eyes were hard and dark as obsidian. "So strange. All I see is blackness."

A cold breeze swept through Donovich's very core. One by one, his stars winked out. His stomach lurched as the floor disappeared, and he began to fall into the infinite space below.

"Help me!" he shouted, reaching for Kotori, but she only stared as he slipped further and further away, spiraling downward.

" _Aaaaahhh!_ "

His scream was sucked down, down with him, down to where the lights had nearly all faded…

 _Where am I?_

Donovich began to whimper. He put his knees against his forehead, wrapping his arms around himself, a trembling embryo against the cold emptiness.

"Another visitor, how excellent," murmured a soft voice. A man appeared, his white suit glowing like a soft beacon, walking toward Donovich in a straight line even though the sensation of falling still persisted. The man's face was a shadow.

"I need you to do something for me…" the man shifted his locks, and bright golden eyes locked onto Donovich's own. A shock rushed through him, and the darkness became absolute!


	7. Attack

Act 1/Scene 8: Attack

 _Aaaaahhh!_

A scream above the music? Rini whipped her head around, looking for the source. Thick fog swirled around her, and through it people skipped and giggled and danced.

"Sanae!" Rini spotted her friend near the entrance, her pupils dialed and focused on something that Rini could not see, her smile dazed and dreamy. Rini waved her hands in front of Sanae's face, and when she received no response the sinking feeling spread in her gut.

"Sanae, what's going on?" Rini demanded through her gas mask. She could barely hear her own voice over the music. "Where's Ryuu!"

 _Ping ping ping!_

Diana Droid flew between the girls, hovering side to side, catching Rini's attention.

"Something is wrong with this odyssey!" Diana Droid's antenna blinked wildly. "I'm picking up some unknown energy! Rini, it is your duty to stop it!"

Rini gripped the droid, holding it steady while attempting to control her own shaking. "But I can't see anything! I need to clear away this smoke!"

"Got it!" _Whirrrrr._

A small vacuum-like suction began, and the droid used it's tiny propeller vent to suck up the gaseous clouds.

"It's working!" Rini shouted as the haze began to lift. Forms appeared, Rini's ruby eyes widening as she saw the body laying across the floor. She ran and knelt next it, rolling him over.

"Donovich!" his face was pale, tinged with grey, his eyes shut. "Hey, I need help over here!" The music bumped over Rini's cry. Spotting a laptop across the room, Rini dashed over and smashed the power button. The screen flashed off and the music ceased.

"Somebody get help!" Rini grabbed the closest person next to her, who shook her off and continued musing about the room. Nobody seemed to notice Rini or the sudden silence much.

" _STOahhhhhh!_ "

Another shrill scream. Rini pushed her way past people toward the source. Three lifeless bodies lay on the floor, Ryuu was on his knees among them, looking up at—

"Kotori!" Rini shouted in shock. "Y-you're glowing!" Kotori pulsed with a soft white aura, as though lit from behind with a small spotlight. When she looked away from Ryuu, he toppled over, unconscious.

"Ryuu!" Rini ran to her brother, but Kotori blocked her path.

Frantically, Rini grabbed Kotori and shouted, "Kotori, stop! What are you doing to them!" Kotori's eyes glinted the brightest gold. She touched the tip of Rini's nose, an unnervingly quick, gentle gesture.

"There you are." Though the voice that whispered from Kotori was soft, it was strange and deep, a male's voice. "I knew I'd find you eventually." A violent shudder jolted Rini, and she released Kotori and stepped back.

" _W-what?_ "

"Give me your hand," coaxed Kotori, her voice still all wrong. "I have so much to show you." Strong fingers wound their way through Rini's.

 _Ping ping!_ Diana Droid barreled through, smashing Rini's fingers as she broke the grasp. Rini cried out and snatched back her throbbing hand.

"Rini, this girl is possessed by the enemy! Do not listen to it!"

Kotori tisked her tongue, "Liar, liar—"

"Rini, think of your classmates! Think of Ryuu!" Her brother still lay on the floor in a crumpled heap-Donovich, too.

Rini nodded and faced off from Kotori, the blonde curls of her wig bouncing, the moon sticker on her forehead glinting, Diana Droid hovering just above her shoulder. "Who are you!" she demanded through her gas mask.

Kotori smiled, and another face, superimposed over hers, smiled as well. "I could ask you the same question. Do you even know who you are?"

"I'm the guardian of this moon!" Rini hadn't thought those words, but as they burst out of her, she believed them. "I demand that you restore my brother and friends!"

"Please understand, these people are of no consequence." Kotori raised an arm, and two more people hit the floor. The aura that surrounded Kotori glowed brighter, taking the shape of another, a masculine form ... Wix's soundtrack began to play suddenly, blasting Rini with a sound wave that nearly knocked her off her feet. Rini threw up her arms to shield her face.

"Rini, it won't stop unless you stop it!" Diana shouted. Rini rushed toward Kotori, putting herself between her and the next victim.

Kotori easily and ruthlessly threw Rini back onto the floor. "You don't want this fight."

"Are you alright!" Diana Droid bounced around nervously next to Rini.

"Diana Droid, go!" Rini didn't pause to think as she snatched the droid from the air and hurled it at Kotori. It smacked into her jaw like an uppercut, stunning Kotori, and Rini seized the moment with a square kick to Kotori's ankles. Kotori hit the ground hard.

"Rini, watch out!"

Lightning-fast, before she could even stand, Kotori had rolled over, straddled Rini, and pinned her to the ground. One hand gripped her throat, while the other bashed aside Diana Droid's counter-strike with deadly accuracy.

Rini was choking. Blonde hair, tipped with sea green, spilled around her face as Kotori loomed over her, strangling Rini with both hands now. The ghostly features transposed over Kotori's blank face became brighter as Rini's world grew darker. It was his eyes that gleamed so bright and gold, Rini thought dimly as she struggled to remain conscious.

"Sleep for now, Sailor Moon."

 _Sailor Moon_...Rini had a vision, a magnificent crystal castle, glittering with rainbow light before it shattered and burned. She saw a bright light, brighter than the sun, brighter than anything, exiting the atmosphere and leaving nothing but darkness behind. Her head burned, the vision blurred, and she thrust her arms upward with all her might-

 _BLAM!_

Kotori was blown off of her with a blast of silvery-pink light. Rini gasped in air, scrambling to stand, but Kotori was already flying back toward her, a deadly elbow aimed directly at her face.

 _Muuaww-_

A transparent opalesque barrier appeared in the air before Rini, and Kotori's elbow cracked against it. Diana Droid had reappeared beside Rini, vibrating gently.

"I cannot generate this shield for long!" the droid warned. "Rini, you need to snap her out of it!"

"I have a plan! Diana Droid, go!" Rini hurled Diana Droid as hard as she could toward the ceiling, and the shield flickered away. Kotori lunged as Diana Droid clanged against the sprinkler system and a deluge of water rained down on everyone.

Kotori stopped mid-attack, collapsing as the strange light faded from around her. The laptop sparked and shorted-out, the music stopped, and for a moment there was only the sound of falling water, a cold, steady shower. Then-

"What is happening?"

"I'm soaked!"

"Woah, where was I?"

"It looks like everybody is coming back to their senses," Diana Droid pointed out. Rini splashed through the pooling water toward Ryuu, who was sitting up, looking dazed. She helped him stand. Donovich was awake nearby, rubbing his head.

"Kotori," Donovich glared darkly. "What did you do?"

"Huh?" Kotori was cradling her right elbow. "I didn't do anything!"

"The last thing I remember seeing was you!" piped up a girl, her hair and outfit soaked through. "Where did you take us?"

"I didn't take anybody anywhere! You!" Kotori spun on Rini. "My elbow-you did this! Who are you?" Rini's wig was sopping, the curly strands now straight, and somehow she had managed to keep her gas mask on her face.

"I don't understand what happened," Ryuu mumbled, leaning on his sister. "I felt like I was lost…like I was floating away in space…"

"She brought me back." Donovich squinted at Rini. "Who are you?" Sanae ran over, helping Ryuu to remain standing as Rini stepped forward.

"This odyssey put everybody in danger," Rini explained. "Dark forces tried to infiltrate the Moon Base. At least I think that's what happened…"

"Dark forces?"

"Are you a Base Force officer?"

"Police!"

The door opened, and both water and people spilled out into the basement hall, some panicking, scrambling over each other to leave the scene of the party.

"I'm not the police-" Rini was saying, but Sanae nudged her hard.

"No, but they'll show up soon enough. We need to get out of here!"

Rini nodded, and the three blended into the crowd heading back toward the living pods. Ryuu took the girls a round-about way back through a service entrance, where Rini removed her wig and gas mask before following them the remainder of the way.


	8. Shadow

Act1/Scene 8: Shadow

 _Tap tap tap._

Baby pink nails flicked over a touch-screen monitor, scrolling through images of the Moon Base: the halls, the classrooms, the flooded basement.

"Anzen is here, Miss."

"Send him in."

Anzen entered the large, white room. He was dressed in the black and grey of a Base Force Police Officer. The round silver metal, indicating his status as chief, glinted in the bright electric light as he strode across the silver-streaked marble floor.

He stopped halfway between the door and the circular table, which displayed a lavish tea service- gold and mosaic, steaming next to a platter filled with dainty cakes and colorful sweets.

"Miss Poudrietteite," he bowed briefly, fist to chest.

"Anzen." Poudrietteite's smile was like a cherry-plump, ripe and red. The rest of her features where concealed under the shadow of her wide brimmed picture hat, which was set with pink bows and trimmed in lace to match her frilly frock. Behind her, a formless shadow loomed. "Have you found my missing security footage from the cameras last night?"

"It seems as though the cameras had been tampered with last night, Miss. Several of them were simply not recording. We are currently questioning our surveillance team members." Anzen's reply was calm, though his eyes were focused on the dark shadow, which moved of its own accord. "Also, we have discovered that a powerful, unknown energy was released last night, and there was a tiny fracture in the Moon Base's shield, though it only lasted a brief moment."

Poudretteite gave a slight pout. "I do hate bad news." Her large, taffy-pink curls bounced against her delicately-boned jawline. "Be a sweetheart and find my culprit. I cannot risk any sort of breach on the Moon, especially now." She waved her hand in dismissal, and Anzen walked back out the way he had come.

"Keep an eye on that one, will you?" Obediently, the shadow skittered across the room after Anzen, disappearing through the dark crack between the wall and the door.


	9. Sleepless

**Hey,you made it to Act 2! Thanks for reading so far!**

Arc 1: Moon

Act 2: Moon Castle

Scene 1: No Sleep

Rini peeled off her sopping t-shirt and booty shorts before stepping into the steaming hot shower. She used rose-scented soap to help scrub away the streaked remnants of her smeared mascara and glitter, allowing the gushing stream of water to wash away the suds and warm her to the core. Her skin glistened when she finally stepped from the shower, and she quickly wrapped a fluffy pink robe around her naked body to keep away the chill of the air.

Rini wiped the steam from the bathroom mirror and saw the moon sticker Sanae had given her still stuck to the center of her forehead. She ripped it off and exited the bathroom.

Sanae and Ryuu sat curled close on the small couch in the circular living space. Sanae had removed her wig and was resting her head against Ryuu's shoulder, and her springy lavender curls were beginning to poke out of their braids as they dried. She wore one of Ryuu's clean t-shirts, and it fit her tall, slender frame like a mini-dress.

Ryuu had one arm wrapped protectively around Sanae's shoulders and the other around her long, bare legs. They were speaking in low whispers and cautiously watching Diana Droid hover about the room. Ryuu kissed Sanae just as Rini walked in.

"Gross," Rini said crossly. They turned to glare at her. Diana Droid's antennae pinged and it floated over toward Rini.

"You fought bravely tonight, Rini," the droid said. "I knew you were the senshi I have been searching for! You should be proud, you stopped the threat and saved your friends."

"Good," Rini responded flatly. "I'm glad I fulfilled my destiny, or whatever. Now leave me alone, and take all the wierdness back with you."

Diana Droid hovered from side to side and said, "Rini, the entire Solar System is locked in a war against the enemy. For you, this is only just beginning."

Rini ground her teeth, curling her lips as she said, "No. I quit. Whatever happened tonight-it was messed up, whatever it was. Ryuu got hurt—"

"I'm fine," her brother interrupted, though his voice was unusually quiet.

"Kototi was possessed! And that-that thing, he said he'd been _looking_ for me, he called me—"

"Sailor Moon," Diana said calmly.

"None of this happened until you showed up!" Rini snarled at Diana Droid. "How do I know that _you're_ not the enemy!"

"Rini, I am your guardian—"

"Yeah, I know. Except you're a weird flying robot. And I'm way too tired for any of this." Rini sat down at the table and ran her hands through her damp, bubblegum-colored hair, combing it to one side.

Watching Diana Droid, Sanae now held out her hands, palms up. She asked it, "May I?" Diana Droid hovered over to Sanae, allowing the girl to grip and inspect it. "This droid is a high-quality spacecraft of impeccable workmanship," Sanae told the others, before asking Diana Droid directly, "What are you?"

"My name is Diana Droid. My creator's name is Diana, guardian and friend of the Sailor Senshi."

"And who are the Sailor Senshi?" Sanae continued her questioning.

"The Sailor Senshi are a legendary group of guardians who hone mysterious energy in order to protect this Solar System. Rini is one of them."

"And there are others?"

"Yes, and an empress as well."

"An empress?"

"The Empress of Earth, who possesses supreme power and who will awaken once the guardians have gathered together. She is the one we need if we are to defeat our enemy. Finding her is our most important mission."

Ryuu spoke up, "This enemy. Is he the one from tonight?"

"Oh, please, Ryuu!" Rini snapped. "You're buying into this, too?"

"Right now it's the only explanation we've got. Unless you have a better one for what happened earlier?"

"I don't know what happened," Rini admitted. "But that doesn't mean I'm about to trust some random flying robot or her fairytales about magical guardians and empresses!"

Ryuu stood up, glaring at his sister. "You weren't part of that odyssey, Rini. You had a gas mask on. You didn't see what I saw. You didn't feel it…" he stopped speaking, and Sanae reached up to squeeze his hand. Ryuu gripped back and continued, more quietly this time, "I felt it. There is an evil out there, and it is watching us. It wants us destroyed. The more we know about it, and how to stop it, the better."

"What you guys are talking about is fantasy," Rini insisted, standing as well. "There was no evil, only some kind of weird nerve gas that had everybody hallucinating-which I'm guessing you and Sadie had a lot to do with, Ryuu!"

"It was more than just a hallucination, Rini," Sanae said. "It was like we opened the door, and something was already waiting on the other side. Something…full of hate."

"We fought it together, Rini," pinged Diana Droid. "You saw what damage it can do with barely a rift. Image the destruction if it found a true way in?"

"Why hasn't it destroyed us already, then?" Rini challenged.

Diana Droid answered, "Ancient spells and modern technology are used together in creating force fields around the Sister Planets and the Moon Base, keeping it at bay-for now."

"How about we just stop creating rifts in the force fields then?" Rini suggested. "No more odysseys, ok, guys? There," she smiled sardonically at Diana Droid. "Problem solved."

Diana Droid sounded stone cold serious as she said, "We fight the enemy on the moons of Jupiter. We fight against it on Mars as well, in the Red War. And it will find a way onto your Moon Base, Rini, if you don't stop it first."

The droid's warning hung in the air. Rini looked at it, then at Sanae and Ryuu. "I don't have room for any more problems in my life right now," she said. "I think you three are more than capable of saving the Solar System in my place."

"Rini, you are the chosen guardian. We cannot win without you," said Diana Droid.

"I'm sure you'll find a way. I'm going to get ready for school." Rini walked into her small dormitory just as first morning bell sounded throughout the Moon Base.

 _WAH WAH! WAH WAH!_


	10. Mission

Act 2/Scene 2: Mission

Sanae and Ryuu remained seated in the living room, with Diana Droid hovering right outside the door that Rini had just closed in it's face.

Sanae said, "I want to help you, Diana Droid. What can I do?"

"What can _we_ do," Ryuu corrected Sanae, rubbing the shoulder that his hand rested against.

Diana Droid's curling antenna pinged and flashed. "The enemy has already begun to chip away at the Moon Base's defensive barrier. We need to be ready for it if and when it finally gets through. We need access to cosmic power."

"What is 'cosmic power'?" asked Ryuu.

"Cosmic power is the power of the sailor guardians and the Empress of Earth, and it is what my creator used to bring me to life. I can only use it in trace amounts, but if we were able to harness more, we may stand a chance."

"How could we harness more?"

"There is a legend of an ancient computer system somewhere on the Moon Base known as Eternity Main. If we can activate this system, we may be able to bypass the Moon's current systems, which specifically work as a barrier against cosmic power."

"Eternity Main," mused Sanae. "Where would we find such a system?"

"I'm not sure," admitted Diana Droid. "But it has to be here. Without Rini, this could be our only shot at saving everybody on this Moon Base."

Right on cue, Rini exited her room and stalked across the living room in her school issued dark blue jumpsuit.

"Rini…," started Sanae. Rini did not even glance at Sanae or Ryuu before she exited the living pod. Sanae sighed, "She'll come around."

"I hope you're right," said Diana Droid. "But the time for sitting around and waiting has gone."

"Right," said Ryuu. He unraveled himself from around Sanae so that he could better face her. He placed a firm hand on each of her shoulders. "The droid and I will look for Eternity Main. Go to class, Sanae, and I'll message you as soon as we find it."

Sanae shook her head. "I'm coming with you," she insisted. "I can't just sit in class knowing that any minute this enemy could attack our Base! We should go to the Base Force Police first and let them know what's going on!"

"Most will not believe you," said Diana Droid. "And the ones that do…well, there are those that consider cosmic power a threat. We could endanger ourselves _and_ Rini, if anyone were to find out who she really is."

"Okay," Sanae said, standing with a nod. "Just the three of us, then!"

"No," said Ryuu. "I'm not risking getting you into trouble."

"I'm only missing a few classes, Ryuu. How much trouble do you think we are getting into?"

Ryuu ran a hand through his mess of brown curls, considering Sanae. He then stood and motioned for her to follow him as he walked into his room. Diana Droid followed as well.

"Here," Ryuu said, handing Sanae an orange jumpsuit. "Put this on. If we get caught anywhere we aren't suppose to be, I'll just say we're there to fix something."

Sanae stripped off the t-shirt she was borrowing from Ryuu and stood before him in a lacy bra and matching panties. The eggshell white against her sepia skin made his mouth water, and it took him a solid minute to realize she was trying to hand back his shirt.

"Right," he mumbled, taking back the t-shirt and continuing to stare as she shimmied into the orange maintenance jumpsuit. It was large on her, and one side slipped off of her shoulder. He reached over to adjust the sleeve, but decided instead to kiss her bare shoulder, once, twice…

"Such a shame," he mumbled against her neck. "Covering up all this beauty…"

Sanae giggled, then flushed brightly as he slipped his hand beneath the synthetic material.

"This is negative progress!" Diana Droid pinged, floating between the two.

"You'd better listen to D.D.!" Sanae giggled again and squirmed out of Ryuu's grip, giving him a wink before heading back into the living room. She began to smooth down her stray curls using the mirror by the door. Sanae added, "Hurry up and get dressed, we've got a time-sensitive mission to complete!"

 _The sooner we find this alternative server, the sooner things will go back to normal, and Sanae and_ _I_ _can pick up where we left off._ The thought cooled Ryuu's boiling blood, and he threw on a matching maintenance jumpsuit and joined Sanae by the front door.

"We should try the Base's server room first," he suggested. Sanae gave a nod of agreement.

"Anything you can do to blend in, D.D.?" Sanae asked. The droid activated her cloaking device, and the three headed out into the halls, which were slowly filling with students heading to school and workers reporting to their morning shifts. There were also quite a bit of men and women in rust-colored jumpsuits, their serious eyes and gaunt faces distinct from the rest.

"Soldiers are returning from Mars today," Ryuu remembered. "All those who's terms are up and have been granted brief leave from the Red War."

"That's right, the festival is tomorrow in their honor," said Sanae. "Everybody is going to be so distracted setting up, I don't think anybody will even notice us snooping around!"


	11. Soldier

Act 2/Scene 3: Soldier

"I'm surprised to see you at breakfast so early, Rini!" chirped Teiko, setting down her plastic tray next to Rini's on the long, pale green cafeteria table. The tray held a steaming bowl of porridge, an apple, and a rectangular nutrition bar. Teiko began to eat, talking between bites. "Mom and dad got called in to work super early this morning, it sounded like you guys really trashed the place last night."

"Something like that," mumbled Rini. She had barely touched her plate of toast.

"You weren't there last night, Teiko?" asked Airi, a classmate who was sitting with a group a little further down the table. Teiko shook her head.

"It was so weird," Airi lowered her voice so that Teiko had to lean in closer. "We all showed up, and it was like a really cool dance party, and then _Kotori_ had a mental breakdown and started, like, giving people the sleeper choke hold or something-"

"Kotori?" Teiko's brow furrowed.

"Yeah," piped up Kait, who sat across from Airi. "Ms. Perfect finally snapped and started using her ninja skills on all these innocent people."

"I wouldn't say 'innocent'," Greg, another classmate, put in. "She totally kicked Donovich's ass, that nerd has been stalking her for years!"

"And then," continued Airi, ignoring Greg, "this other blonde girl showed up and said she was the guardian of the Moon, and she fought Kotori!"

"Guardian of the Moon?" Teiko snorted a laugh. "Was she a student?"

"Nobody knows who she was," said Airi. "She had a gas mask covering half her face, and a moon sticker on her forehead. She fought Kotori and they tore up the boiler room and broke a water line, and then everybody got soaked and got the hell out of there."

"Was anybody seriously hurt?" asked Teiko. Airi and Kait shook their heads, and Greg rolled his eyes.

"It was just an act," he said. "Whoever threw the party paid Kotori and some other sexy girl from the martial arts class to put on a show."

"I don't think so," said Airi. "People were really freaked out."

"That's the point," insisted Greg. "Odyssey's are suppose to take you on weird adventures. It was all part of the show."

Rini had heard enough. She stood and took her tray up to the disposal chute, then shouldered her backpack and headed out into the hall, toward the tram.

Teiko followed her outside, still munching her apple. "I haven't seen Sanae yet this morning," she said. "She must have gotten lucky last night!"

Rini gave Teiko a scathing glare.

"What?" said Teiko, raising her eyebrows.

"Did you know about her and Ryuu?"

 _"Ack!"_ _Cough cough!_ Teiko choked on her bite of apple. "She's been seeing your _brother?_ No wonder she's been so secretive lately!"

"I had no idea she was seeing anyone," Rini said. "How could neither of them have told me?"

"Oh, c'mon Rini, dating your best friend's brother can be really awkward! I'm sure they were just waiting to see how they really felt about each other before telling you."

"Yeah, well, the way they were all over each other last night, I'm sure everybody knows now."

"Sounds like I missed out on everything last night," Teiko said. "Who do you think this 'guardian of the Moon' girl is?"

Rini shrugged, and Teiko continued to talk, "I bet it was staged, like Greg said. Kotori is the number one pick for Placement in the martial arts division. There's no way any student on this base would fight her for real."

When Rini didn't respond, Teiko's attention wondered around the busy halls. "There sure are a lot of soldiers who returned this term," she mused, staring at the group of red-suited men they were walking past. "I hope that means good news from Mars' battlefront."

"Rini, hey!" A soldier from the group waved cheerfully. His purple hair was so dark it was nearly black and his eyes glinted like two hard amethyst chips.

 _No way...Rini_ couldn't believe her eyes.

He was in a wheelchair, and Rini stopped and stared a minute before his distinct features registered as real life in her mind. He was really there, right in front of her on the Moon Base.

"Masaru! You're back!" A huge grin began to crawl across her face as she took him in, wheelchair and all. "I didn't know-Masaru, what happened?"

"It's nothing, just a break." He had a cast encasing his entire left leg. "Doc says I should heal up perfectly." Rini fought her crazy grin, but she couldn't stop herself from running over and giving him a huge hug.

"I've missed you, Rini!" Masaru laughed, hugging her back. Dimples cut slashes into his cheeks when he smiled. "You've grown a bit since I last saw you…"

"Well, it has been a whole year!"

"Only a year here? Feels like its been so much longer than that."

"I didn't think I would see you again so soon! Are you-staying?"

"Just until this leg strengthens back up. I'll be here for a month or two at least."

 _A month or two_ …Rini had forgotten about Teiko, who now jabbed her with a sharp elbow. "Rini, we're going to be late!"

"Right, school, I've got to go," Rini excused herself, awkwardly adding, "I'm just…I'm so glad that you're back, Masaru!"

He grinned that infectious grin. "Will I see you at the festival tomorrow?" he asked.

"Yes! I'll be there!" Teiko was practically dragging Rini toward the tram. "Bye!"

"Goddesses, Rini, keep it in your pants," teased Teiko as the two boarded the tram toward the Upper Education Center. "Weren't you just all pissed off like two seconds ago?."

Rini was barely listening. She said, more to herself than Teiko, "When he left last year I just-I didn't think I'd see him again." Rini's face was warm and she couldn't stop her silly smile.

"I think I preferred grumpy Rini," Teiko said with good humor. "I'm not used to that smile of yours-it's really freaking me out!"

Rini pinched her friend, and felt as though nothing could bring down her mood.


	12. Warrior

Act 2/Scene 4: Warrior

 _Whooosh!_

The tram rushed toward the Upper Education Center in the east section of the Moon Base. Every time it jolted its passengers, Kotori's elbow sparked with pain, and she fought the reflex to wince. Matsumi sat next to her, chattering obliviously.

"I just wish I could have gone," Matsumi was complaining. Her thick, glossy hair had been impeccably braided into her usual looped pigtails, and her pale skin and plum lips were perfectly applied with make-up. "I bet Kait looked terrible! She has the worst style. And what about Sanae, did she show up? Kotori!" Matsumi glared at her friend. "Are you even listening to me?"

"The odyssey got busted," Kotori kept her voice low. Two students near the back of the tram were whispering together, and kept glancing her way. "You weren't there, so just stop talking about it, Matsumi."

"Base Force officers showed up?" Matsumi sighed dramatically. "Oh my goddesses, I really _did_ miss all the excitement. Did Teiko's dad show up? I'd let that daddy drag me into a private cell for some questioning anytime." An eavesdropping technician glanced her way, and she gave him a wink and a smirk. He gave her a sly smile back.

 _Ding!_ The girls' stop. Kotori and Matsumi exited the tram with the other students and walked into the education center.

"I'll see you in 4th session firearms," Matsumi called over her shoulder as she flounced away.

Kotori said nothing as she turned away from Matsumi and walked down the halls. A few students watched her, and she coldly stared right back as she passed. She reached the domed gymnasium, stepping into the locker room to a low buzz of chatter-

"-she was freaking out, and knocked out all these people around her," one girl was saying, "and _then_ she started fighting this other weird girl in a gas mask-" the talking ceased once the girls caught sight of Kotori.

"Gossiping about something?" Kotori asked, staring a hard challenge at each of them as she strode over to her locker. A few girls mumbled a greeting, a few finished changing and hurried outside. None of them met her stare.

Kotori stripped off her school jumpsuit in silence before heading out onto the gymnasium's sprung floor in her short, black compression shorts and matching sports bra. Her thick top bun kept her green-tipped blonde waves out of her face.

Her first two sessions of the day was a back-to-back martial arts class with Ms. First, a sensei who was small, spry, and relentless.

 _"Again! Faster!"_ Ms. First barked orders as the students ran warm-up drills, weapons drills, and spared against each other. Ms. First watched Kotori closely as Kotori combated against Hayne, a tall, chiseled brunette who lunged at Kotori again and again, whipping his Bo Staff and growling as she dodged agilely away from his strikes each time.

"End it," ordered Ms. First. Hayne charged, feinting a strike with his staff and going for a surprise cross punch instead. Kotori caught Hayne's heavy punch and used his own momentum to flip him onto the ground, jabbing her Bo Staff at his heart to indicate defeat.

"Your heart rate rises with your anger," Ms. First lectured Hayne. "Concentrate. Meditate for 15 minutes." She dismissed him with a wave of her hand. Hayne stood, bowed, and left. The sensei then turned her small, shrewd eyes on Kotori.

"Your pace is uneven today," she accused. "You favor your left side. You are injured."

"No, sensei," lied Kotori. Ms. First held out her hand, and Kotori obediently handed over her Bo Staff. The older woman twirled the staff expertly, then snapped it against Kotori's right arm.

An electric shock rushed through Kotori's elbow, and her lower lip twitched. The movement was slight, but it was enough.

Ms. First rapped the Bo Staff sharply against the floor. "You are to represent the elite fighters of the Moon Base at the festival tomorrow!" she hissed.

"Yes, sensei," said Kotori.

"How can you do this with only one good arm!" Again, Ms. First struck Kotori's throbbing elbow with the Bo Staff, but this time, Kotori did not flinch.

"It is nothing, sensei."

Ms. First warned, "You are the top pick for a Placement in the Military Combatant School on Earth. If the scouts are disappointed by your performance, it could cost you your future."

"I'm ready to fight," Kotori said.

"Then prove it," challenged Ms. First. "Daikuto! Rose!" the sensei waved over two of Kotori's sparring classmates. Ms. First tossed Kotori's Bo Staff to Rose, who easily caught it. "Please, combine your skills to teach Kotori's ego a lesson."

Kotori clenched both her fists, though her features remained impassive.

"Yes, sensei." Daikuto and Rose exchanged short bows with Ms. First, who gave a solemn nod of approval.

 _"H'yahh!"_

Rose rushed at Kotori first, spinning the Bo Staff above her head like a propeller. Her long, dusky brown ponytail flew out behind her as she swept a strike at Kotori's torso.

 _Swoosh!_

Kotori ducked, only to be met by the icy pale eyes and vein-laced biceps of Daikuto. She dodged a right jab and again ducked as Daikuto swung a left hook, then threw her weight against his back so that he stumbled into Rose.

The three squared-off again, and this time Kotori made the first move, aiming a high roundhouse kick at Rose that was blocked by the Bo Staff. Kotori used the leverage to launch her other leg into a front kick that hit Rose square in the chest.

 _"Oof!"_

Rose stumbled back, temporarily stunned, as Kotori flipped and snatched back her Bo Staff.

She swung the Bo Staff toward the oncoming assault from Daikuto, knocking aside kicks and punches, timing her next move. When she had an opening, Kotori jabbed Daikuto hard in the diaphragm, knocking the air from him before sending the staff sweeping toward Rose's ankles. The move was fluid and both her classmates hit the floor in unison.

 _Thud, thud._ Kotori gave a short nod to Ms. First.

"I'm ready to fight," Kotori repeated.

 _"Tsk tsk tsk."_ Ms. First clicked her tongue thoughtfully and said, "We will see. The fighters you will face at the festival will not be your classmates. You will not have the advantage of having trained with them, and knowing their moves, their strengths, and their weaknesses the way you do here.

 _Again!"_ Ms. First clapped her hands together twice in a demand. Rose and Daikuto jumped to their feet, circling Kotori, and Kotori tilted the staff so that an end pointed toward each of them.


	13. Interrogation

Act 2/Scene 5: Interrogation

The disembodied shadow slithered quickly through the long tunnels of the Moon Base, which were intermittently lit with buzzing electric lights. The lights did nothing to alter that strange of darkness, and it darted around fast enough that the few base residents walking through the pale grey halls did not seem to notice it.

The shadow glided underneath the automatic door marked 'Base Force Police', through the busy rows of cubicles and toward the back offices, where it slipped through the crack between the wall and the aluminum door marked 'Chief'.

 _Poof!_

The shadow morphed into a golden skinned man. His full eyebrows shaded his smoky eyes and his lashes were so thick that he appeared to be wearing eyeliner. His long, dark hair was pulled back into a high ponytail and clasped with a solid gold hair cuff. He wore wide-legged linen pants that tapered at the ankles and a rich purple cloak. His golden shoes curled at the toes.

Other than the man, there was nobody else in the room-just a few tattered chairs, some filing cabinets, and an aluminum desk with a computer and a neat pile of unfiled reports stacked on top.

The man strode over to the desk, swiftly leafing through the reports and then the drawers themselves. The top drawer contained a framed picture of the chief's family-two Base Force Police officers with a young girl between them, a freckled brunette who had the right side of her head shaved.

 _"Hmmmm."_

A thoughtful growl rumbled from the man. He didn't bother to close the drawers or straighten the reports before re-shifting into his shadow form. He slipped back under the crack of the door and down a darkened elevator shaft until he reached the secure basement that contained the Moon Base's prison cells.

Another man, tall and built, stood before the door of one holding cell. His brunette hair was greying on the sides with distinction, and he had a silver piercing in each ear and a few tattoos that were barely visible above the high collar of the grey and black uniform he wore. The glint of silver on his chest was a chief-of-police badge.

His quick peridot eyes caught site of the shadow and watched warily as it transformed into the purple-caped man.

"Peri," he greeted the specter with a small, stiff bow.

"Anzen," Peri smiled at the chief. "Any progress with our suspect?"

"He continues to insist that he doesn't know anything," Anzen said, standing aside as Peri strode toward the door.

"Open it," Peri demanded. Anzen placed his hand on the scanner.

 _Beep!_ confirmed the scanner.

 _Whoosh._

The door opened upward, revealing a small room with a table, two chairs, and a young, black-haired officer in handcuffs.

"Vin," purred Peri. The officer in custody looked at the lavishly-dressed man in surprise.

"Who are you?" he asked, shifting nervously as the Anzen stepped into the room with them and shut the door.

"Vin," repeated Peri, shaking his head. "This is your first year on the force, and already you have allowed last night's footage from the security cameras to go missing. How did this happen?"

"I already told the chief, I don't know! I though everything had been functioning fine."

"If that were the case, then none of us would be in this room right now." Peri placed a hand gently on Vin's shoulder. Anzen tensed.

Vin said, "Don't touch me!"

"Let me see if I'm able to jog your memory," offered Peri. A ghostly golden glow swirled around his hand and there was a _hisss_ as though Vin's shoulder was being singed by fire.

 _"Ahhhh!"_ screamed Vin. The muscles on Anzen's neck were twitching, but he didn't say anything.

"Still nothing?" asked Peri, and moved his glowing hand to Vin's throat.

"Stop!" shouted Vin, sweat beading along his brown. "Look, all I know is, some officer was messing around with the surveillance computers, and he asked me to let him know if anybody called in anything suspicious!"

"His name?"

"I'm new, I don't- _ahhhhh!"_ Peri's hand was barely touching Vin, yet Vin began to struggle. He bit his own lip, drawing blood. "It was some guy named Takeshi!" Vin blurted out. "I barely know him!"

Peri withdrew his hand. There was a bright red scorch mark left on Vin's throat. Peri smiled at Anzen, who was noticeably paler.

"There's your lead, Anzen," he said smoothly. "I'll be back to check on your progress with the new suspect." Anzen opened the door and Peri walked out before shifting and gliding back up the elevator shaft.

"Officer!" Anzen growled at a passing officer, who immediately saluted his chief. "Put him back in his holding cell," Anzen instructed the other officer, jerking his chin at the shaking Vin.

"That's all I know, really!" insisted Vin.

Anzen nodded, his jaw tight and his face carefully blank. "It's just until we get to the bottom of this." Anzen walked up the hall and into a narrow supplies closet. He began to gather a few items.

"Gauze, burn ointment, bandages-," a third officer had appeared, and she was naming the supplies that Anzen selected. She held out her hands to help. The officer was Anzen's petite wife. She had dark auburn hair, freckles, and worried brown eyes. "Don't tell me that's for the kid we have in custody."

"Peri came to see him," Anzen explained, handing her the supplies. "He _convinced_ Vin to give a name: some Takeshi."

She frowned. "Vin is young and scared. He would have told us everything we needed to know if we had just kept him for one more night."

"Yes," Anzen agreed. "But Poudrietteite can be quite…impatient."

"It's easy to be impatient when you do nothing except wait around for answers," she said. "Peri's type of power could be very beneficial on the Base, but instead our leader decides to waste it on putting fear in our first-years."

"Careful," Anzen warned quietly. "Poudrietteite put us here, and she could just as easily replace us if she felt the need."

"That doesn't mean we have to agree with her methods. It makes me uncomfortable, having those _things_ haunting the Moon Base. It didn't always, but since Teiko was born-I just hope she never has to meet one of Poudrietteite's djinn!" she sighed, staring at the bandages she held. "I'll bring these to Vin."

Anzen nodded. "And I'll look for this Takeshi. Hopefully I can get this one to talk before Poudrietteite gets another excuse to exercise her power."


	14. Secret Base

Act 2/Scene 6: Secret Base

 _Wah wah! Wah wah!_

The midday alarm sounded through the Moon Base. Sanae let out a sigh of frustration as she slumped against the grey office walls in the agricultural department.

"We've searched everywhere, D.D.!" she complained. "The kitchens, the basements, multiple departments, even the arena-can we take a lunch break?"

 _Ping ping ping!_

Diana Droid was bouncing itself off the walls in a methodical sort of way. It said, "There must be more to this Moon Base! We just don't have access to it."

"But where?" Ryuu said. He was busy flipping through blueprints of the Moon Base on his laptop. "I've lived here my whole life and I've never seen evidence of secrets like you're talking about, D.D."

Diana Droid insisted. "There is a hidden power switch. We just need to find it!"

 _Bleep bleep bleep._ Ryuu sent a message. Sanae closed her eyes.

"I'm so tired!" she grumbled.

Ting! Ryuu received a message back.

"Alright," he said, "Takeshi agreed to meet us. He found us the perfect spot for the odyssey last night-if anybody knows anything about secret rooms in the Moon Base, it'll be him." Ryuu walked over to Sanae and offered his hand.

"Let's go, little lady!" he said, making her giggle.

"This better not be another dead end," she warned. "If it is, you're buying me lunch!"

"I'm buying you lunch anyways," Ryuu said, grinning as Sanae swung onto his back. She wrapped her long legs securely around his waist.

"You better," she said, nuzzling his neck.

Takeshi met them in the large cafeteria in the Moon Base's Main Campus, at the same table where he and his friends had met with Donovich the previous day. The cafeteria was mostly empty.

Ryuu set down a bento box in front of Sanae, a medley of roasted vegetables over steamed rice. She kissed his cheek before digging in. Ryuu turned his attention to Takeshi.

"You seem on edge, my friend," Ryuu sad. Takeshi looked like he hadn't gotten any sleep last night, either.

"I haven't seen Vin today," Takeshi said. "It isn't like him, and nobody on the force will tell me anything." He shook his head. "I have an uneasy feeling."

Ryuu nodded in agreement. "Something strange is definitely going on in this base, Takeshi, and Sanae and I need your help." He lowered his voice. "We're looking for something-an ancient computer server known as Eternity Main. Have you heard of it?"

Takeshi shook his head and asked, "Did you try the main server room?"

"That, and the back-up server room, and the basements-"

"And everywhere else imaginable!" Sanae broke in, swallowing a huge bite.

"We're looking for a secret room, possibly, many of them," Ryuu continued. "Does anything come to mind?"

Takeshi thought a moment. "I'm guessing you haven't searched the cells, but I've been down there plenty of times and haven't seen any computer servers. If it's a protected secret, then it will most likely be in the governmental section of the Moon Base."

"Governmental?" asked Ryuu. "What section is that?"

"From what it sounds like, it's basically a separate base, and only government and military have access to it."

"A separate base?" Sanae asked.

Ryuu shook his head. "How can there be a two Moon Bases? I've never seen anything like that in the blueprints."

Takeshi said, "All I know is that it's home to the people who my superiors report to."

"How do we get to it?" Ryuu asked.

"It's connected by the trams, but you need a special code or something to access those tracks. Even if you got there, the second base most likely be heavily guarded. You two wouldn't make it past the front door."

"We've got a secret weapon!" Sanae said, nudging the cloaked droid underneath the table. It pinged indignantly, and Takeshi looked around for the sound's source.

"It's important to everyone that we find Eternity Main," Ryuu explained, pulling back Takeshi's attention. "We could really use you on our side, Takeshi."

Takeshi said, "I could lose my job, Ryuu."

"You'd lose your job anyway if they found out about half the stuff we've done!" Ryuu pointed out. "Plus, if we find this separate base, we'll search it for Vin."

After a moment, Takeshi nodded his head.

"Did you bring what I asked?" Ryuu asked.

Takeshi tossed over a bag.

Ryuu grabbed the bag and said, "The sooner we get moving, the sooner we can get back!" The three left the cafeteria, heading toward the trams. They waited for an empty one, and when they stepped inside, Diana Droid deactivated her cloaking device.

"What the _hell_ is that thing?" Takeshi was looking warily at the droid.

"This is out secret weapon! D.D.!" said Sanae. She lead the droid up to the tram's inner control panel.

 _Ping! Bing! Blip, blip!_

Diana Droid began to flash light from her antenna and eye screens. "There is indeed encrypted information in the tram's systems! There is data for an entirely different course!" the droid announced. "I'm re-routing our destination now."

The tram picked up speed. Ryuu took a few extra Base Force Police uniforms out of the bag that Takeshi had brought him, handing one to Sanae before changing into one, himself.

"I'm getting nervous," Sanae admitted as Ryuu handed her an extra Taser. "We don't even know what we're walking into!"

"Everything will be fine," Ryuu assured her. "Just stay close."

The tram eventually slowed, and the front door whisked open. Ryuu and Takeshi stepped out onto the platform first. There were two armed men to greet them, dressed in black with helmets whose tinted visors obscured their eyes and noses. They raised their automatic weapons, pointing them at the three.

"Hands where I can see them!" one ordered.

"Base Force Police!" said Takeshi. "We were sent by Chief Anzen."

The guards continued to hold them at gunpoint. "Anzen doesn't send officers to the Moon Castle," he said.

"How else do you think we got here?" said Sanae.

The guard frowned at her. "I'm calling it in," he said to his colleague, who nodded.

 _Ping ping!_

Diana Droid flew through the air, smashing it's rubbery body against a guard's protected head.

"What was that!" the guard shouted, trying to aim his weapon at the now- camouflaged droid. Ryuu took advantage of the distraction and rushed the guard, tackling him. The guard's automatic weapon clattered to the floor.

 _"Eek!"_

Sanae uttered a scream as Ryuu ripped off the guard's helmet and bashed him with it, effectively knocking the guard out. Simultaneously, Takeshi zapped the second guard with his Taser. The struck guard yelled, and Ryuu was on his feet lightning-fast to drop him with a precise uppercut.

"Wow, Ryuu," said Sanae, narrowing her eyes. "Where did _that_ come from?"

"I can still remember my martial arts training, even though it's been two years," Ryuu said with a grin.

Takeshi added, "I'll still don't understand why you chose be a maintenance man instead of a police officer." Takeshi had put on one of the guards' black helmets, and Ryuu gave the other helmet to Sanae.

"This is sophisticated technology," Sanae said. Her helmet scanned the area, locking onto Ryuu and Takeshi's faces and labeling them as 'unknown'. "It's much nicer than anything we have access to on our Moon Base!"

The boys had dragged the unconscious guards off to the side of the platform, handcuffing them together.

 _Bleep!_ A radio channel opened in both helmets. _"Base to tram,"_ buzzed a voice through a speaker.

"We don't have much time." Ryuu was tying a blue bandana around his face. "Let's go."

"I've never seen guards like that before," Sanae said, following the boys and the droid deeper into the new base. "They called this place the Moon Castle. Look, the walls were built with real stones! And this floor must be marble!" It was pure white, and it caused their footsteps to echo through the hallway. Verdant plants grew happily in huge lacquered vases spaced along the wall.

 _Bleep!_ _"Tram, do you copy?"_

Further down, a long rectangular hall opened up before them. It's floor reflected the rainbow light of the crystal chandelier hanging in the center. It was bordered on each side by a smaller, twin chandelier. Stained glass windows depicting goddesses lined the hall.

"Oh!" Sanae's eyes widened. Takeshi moved to one of the windows.

"There are trees and flowers outside!" he said with surprise. Sanae raced over and squealed with delight.

"It's beautiful!" she said. "I thought our atmosphere couldn't support such biolife!"

"It looks like it can support human life as well," said Ryuu. He was staring out of a window across from them, and Takeshi and Sanae went to join him.

There was no plant life on that side of the hall, just weak sunlight that stretched for miles over barren grey moonscape, and-

"Troops," said Takeshi. "Hundreds of them." Some wore red, and others were dressed in the same black as the guards they had fought earlier.

"There's a hanger, too," said Ryuu, pointing to a flat landing area filled with different types of spacecrafts. "This must be where the soldiers from the Red War landed this morning."

 _Ping ping!_ went Diana Droid's antenna.

"Somebody is coming!" the droid warned, hovering through a doorway on the far end of the hall. "We need to leave! Hurry!"

The three fiends raced across the hall after the droid, entering a hallway similar to the first, though larger and airier. They could hear the sound of approaching footsteps echoing from the opposite end.

"The door!" Diana Droid had found an aluminum door inlaid in the stone. The droid bypassed the door's security features and the door opened with a smooth mechanical whoosh! The four ducked inside, and the door whisked closed. A moment later, the approaching footsteps rushed past.

Diana Droid's antenna and eye screens sent beams of light around their dark room.

"No way!" said Takeshi. "An armory!" Weapons of every kind were organized throughout the room, and there was an open space in the center for combat. Suddenly, the visors on the helmets Sanae and Takeshi wore began to flash red.

 _"Intruder alert!"_ The helmets warned.

 _"Shit!"_ cursed Sanae.

"They must have found the other guards," said Ryuu. "We need to move while we still can!" He grabbed Sanae's hand and ran back into the hall. Diana Droid and Takeshi followed. The group bolted down the hallway and found themselves in another huge room. This room was a cylinder, it's several stories patterned with doors, hallways, and windows that were accessible by the glass staircase spiraling up the center.

Sanae halted to stare at the domed top of the high room, where somebody had painted a sprawling mural of an ethereal goddess. She was dressed all in white, emanating rainbow light, and had a golden crescent moon in the center of her forehead. She reminded Sanae of—

"Rini," Sanae breathed her best friend's name.

"Move!" Ryuu re-gripped Sanae's hand. He pulled her across the hall just as three black uniformed guards appeared from another doorway.

"Halt!" one shouted, opening fire as the three friends and droid fled and ducked down yet another hall.

"Go!" ordered Ryuu, and began to return fire from behind the doorway.

 _Blam blam blam!_

"We're in so much trouble!" Sanae said, racing to catch up with Takeshi and Diana Droid.

"This way!" Takeshi held a door open for Sanae and the droid, and the three found themselves sprinting through a cafeteria that was five times the size of the one in the Moon Base. It was dimly lit and empty, but not for long. Ryuu burst through the same door as the others, while four more guards appeared from an entrance near the top.

"Keep running!" Takeshi ordered Sanae before stopping to knock a wooden cafeteria table over on it's side with an echoing crash! Takeshi crouched behind it, aimed his weapon, and flicked off the safety.

 _Pew pew!_ _Pew pew pew!_

Takeshi drew the guards' fire as Ryuu ran across the open space, keeping his body low. Sanae had reach a side door and flung it open.

Her heart stopped. Moonscape sprawled before her, empty miles of pocked terrain underneath a barely-blue sky.

"Go!" shouted Diana Droid.

Ryuu flew out of the doorway, grabbing Sanae's arm and forcing her to move. They ran along the Moon Castle's outer wall. Far off in the distance was the bleached stack of the Moon Base, looking very small.

Aluminum half-doors that looked more like drawers had been built into the Castle's outside wall. Ryuu opened one, revealing a chute that descended sharply into darkness. Diana Droid immediately sped inside. Ryuu looked at Sanae, who was shaking her head. "I'm not going down there!" Sanae said.

"I need you to trust me," he told her.

Takeshi burst outside, running straight toward them. He hesitated long enough to say, "Move, now," before jumping into the dark, disappearing.

"Let's go!" Ryuu gripped Sanae close before pulling her down with him.

"Noooo!" she screamed. They fell into darkness, leaving their stomachs at the top of the steep drop.

They fell for dozens of feet. Diana Droid was illuminating the area, so they saw the boxes at the bottom of the chute before colliding with them.

"Are you okay?" Ryuu asked Sanae, who nodded as she allowed Ryuu to help her stand. "That's my girl," he said, kissing her.

"Where the hell are we?" Takeshi asked. He had snatched Diana Droid and was pointing her around like a flashlight. The beams fell on boxes and sacks, on huge wooden barrels, on racks and hooks filled with meats and sausages.

"It's a cellar," said Diana Droid. "It's ancient, but apparently still in good use."

Takeshi walked over to a rack filled with thick glass bottles, blowing off the dust. He selected one and popped out the cork, taking a swig of the contents.

"This is delicious!" he said.

 _"Shh!"_ warned Diana Droid. She flicked off her lights a second before a different light washed across the cellar, revealing shadows of the guards who now filtered in.

Takeshi crouched behind the wine rack.

"No!" Sanae said softly.

A message flashed across Diana Droid's twin screen eyes. _Stay put!_ I'll _get help!_ It cloaked itself, and a few moments later, there was the sound of commotion from the floor above. The guards hurried upstairs, shutting and locking the heavy door after them.

In the sudden blackness, Takeshi and Sanae's helmets automatically shifted to night vision.

"That was the only way out!" said Sanae, looking around desperately for another door. "We can't climb back up those chutes! We're trapped!"

"D.D. will be back," said Ryuu. When he looked at her, it seemed to Sanae that his eyes burned golden like two bright stars. _Must be_ a _trick of the night vision,_ Sanae thought.

"Takeshi, where did you put that wine?" Ryuu asked. "Might as well have a drink while we wait!"


	15. Rescue

Act 2/Scene 7: Rescue

Donovich didn't show for first session. Sanae was missing for second. A lot of other students were absent, as well. Rini overheard snippets of conversations as she walked through the halls.

"The odyssey last night—"

"Kotori—"

"Guardian of the Moon—"

Rini found a quiet corner of the library to hide in. _I_ _know I should study…she_ thought, but homework was tedious, and Rini was exhausted. She closed her eyes and pictured Masaru, the brightest spot in her troubled mind.

 _I've always had the biggest crush on him,_ she allowed herself to admit. _He used to come over_ _to hang out with Ryuu, and_ I _regretted not saying anything to him when he left to fight in the Red War…I promise_ I _won't make that mistake again…_

She pictured telling Masaru how she felt, pictured those amethyst eyes, that warm smile matching hers, how his hands would feel when he finally held her, really _held_ her. She closed her eyes and imagined what it would be like to kiss him…

She felt his lips, warm and full and gentle. The kiss was soft and short, and she wanted more. She leaned in, and a deep, quiet chuckle nestled in the shell of her ear…

"I have so much to show you," whispered a male voice. The figure in front of her radiated the golden light of a sunrise, and Rini shielded her eyes from the brightness. Even then, the light seared, and she was forced to look away from his brilliance.

She was floating in space, stars spinning all around her. A great white moon, _her_ Moon, was disappearing into the darkness.

"Rini!"

Somebody was calling her. Rini looked around and saw people surrounding her. Her friends, family—they were being sucked away into the vacuum of space.

"Masaru! Sanae!" she shouted. "Teiko! Ryuu! No!"

"Please understand," said the glowing man, floating before her on the white-feathered wings of an angel. "These people are of no consequence."

"No! _Nooo!"_

Rini jerked awake, knocking aside the hands that grabbed for her.

"Ow! Hey!" it was just a student. "Are you okay?"

 _Thump thump thump!_

Her heart was bashing itself against her ribcage. She was in the library, covered in sweat. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, and Rini ran, bolting from the group of students surrounding her, she fled out of the library and down the halls of the education center.

A tram was waiting, and when she entered it, she slumped in the corner, catching her breath. The tram was mostly empty.

 _What time is it?_ _Where am_ _I going?_ _That dream…it felt so real!_ Rini bit back her tears, and anger boiled up over her fear.

 _Just_ _a stupid dream!_ _I hate it here-I hate this Moon Base!_ _I_ _feel so trapped!_

 _Ding!_ The tram's first stop was the Moon Base's Main Campus. Rini stayed on as the few students on the tram got off. The door closed again and continued toward the living pods.

 _I need to get away from this rock._ _And the only way to do that is to study, so I can be selected for a Placement..._

Rini felt queasy. _I left my books in the library._ _I just left, I just ran…_

The tram arrived at Living Quarters Section S, and Rini got off.

She went home, stood in her room, and stared at her bed.

 _I need to sleep, but_ _I'm afraid._ Her dream was still fresh in her mind. Again, she found herself wanting to cry.

To distract herself, Rini changed from her sweaty school jumpsuit and into a skirt with suspenders and a clean white t-shirt with a print of a large pink bow across the front. She looked at her reflection, and then the tears, one after another, began to roll down her flushed cheeks. _Why do I feel so scared!_

Her computer screen flashed on, showing the purple ball that was Diana Droid bobbing in front of the electronic eye outside of the living pod's front door.

"Rini!" the droid pinged. "We need your help!"

Rini pressed the speaker and said, "Leave. Me. Alone."

"Rini, please! Sanae, Ryuu, and Takeshi are trapped! You're the only one who can save them!"

Rini squeezed her fist so hard that her nails dug into her palm. She scrubbed away her tears and buzzed the droid into her living pod.

"What happened?" she asked it, trying to control her shaking, trying not to think of the desperate way her friends had looked in her dream before they were sucked away.

"There's no time! You must become the Guardian of the Moon and follow me!" Rini grabbed the wig and pink gas mask from the wastebasket of her room, shoving them into a backpack as she raced out of the door and after the droid.

An empty tram was just pulling into the platform, and a woman in a lab coat was gathering her things, preparing to board. Diana Droid flung itself against the woman's briefcase, which opened and spewed it's neat reports all over the platform.

"Hey!" the woman yelled.

"We need an empty tram!" Diana Droid pinged at Rini, who nodded and jumped aboard, trying to keep her face hidden from the frustrated scientist. The doors closed, and Diana Droid floated over to the control panel. Her antenna was flashing.

"Where are we going?" asked Rini.

"To another base," said the droid.

"Another base?!"

"You're friends are trapped, and in danger of being caught. You must disguise yourself as the Guardian of the Moon and save them!"

Rini opened her bag and put on the blonde wig and pink gas mask. Stuck to the bottom of the backpack was a sheet of moon stickers.

 _Sanae must have left these in here…_ thought Rini. She peeled one off and placed it in the center of her forehead, thinking of her friend.

The tram came to a sudden stop, lurching Rini forward. When the door opened, Rini saw no platform—there was only the dark wall of the tunnel.

"I discovered a service entrance here," explained the droid, bouncing against the wall. There was the gleam of a small handle, and when Rini turned it she saw that door opened to-

 _Outside._

Diana Droid whirred on ahead, her quiet motor kicking up moon dust.

 _I've never been on the outside._ Rini put a cautious foot on the Moon's surface, and then another.

"Hurry!" urged the droid. "Before we're seen!"

To the right lay the Moon Base, a bleached white stack of squares and ovals. To the left was a grey stone castle, much larger than the Moon Base. Rini followed Diana Droid around the castle's wall. They paused at the corner, cautiously peeking around.

Two armed guards in black uniforms, their eyes obscured by their dark helmets, were stationed before a small side door.

"That's the door we need," explained Diana Droid.

"Right," Rini nodded. "Do you still have access to the nerve gas you sucked up last night?"

"I do," pinged the droid, "but I'm not sure if—"

"Diana Droid, go!" Rini bowled the droid at the armed guards, who watched it approach with confusion, aiming their weapons.

"What…" the guard's question was cut short as purple gas began to cloud around them. They looked around.

"Where are we?" asked one, even as the other began to smile.

"Look at _this!"_ she said, pointing at nothing, and they both began to laugh and dance, their post forgotten. It was easy for Rini to sneak by and open the door, letting Diana Droid float in first. Rini stepped inside and left the door slightly ajar before following the droid down the darkened stone hall. It was short and narrow, and it led to the kitchens, where three more guards were stationed.

"Ryuu, Sanae, and Takeshi are locked up in the cellars," explained the droid. "When I draw the guards away, you'll need to open the cellar door and let them out!"

"Got it," said Rini. "Go!"

Diana Droid cloaked itself, and a few moments later there was a loud crash! from the opposite end of the kitchen.

"What was that?" a guard asked, and the three moved in the direction of the sound. Rini slid past their abandoned post, keeping herself in a crouch as she glanced at her surroundings.

The door before her was made of wood and metal, so unlike the aluminum doors she was used to seeing. It was latched with a chain instead of a control panel. Rini grabbed the heavy key from a nearby hook and unlocked the chain with an echoing _clink!_

 _Squeeeeak._ The door opened. A crumbling staircase lead down into blackness. Rini's shaking legs refused to move beyond the doorway.

"Sanae?" Rini whispered down into the pit. "Ryuu?"

"Freeze!" shouted a voice behind her. Rini turned to face the barrel of an automatic weapon.

"Hands where I can see them!" the guard demanded. Rini obeyed. "Who are you!" the guard asked. Rini's ruby eyes narrowed at the guard's visor, where her own reflection glared back at her.

"I am the Guardian of this Moon," she said. "And I'm here to save my friends!"

An object soared out of the dark and at the guard, a large wine bottle that _thunked_ over his head and knocked him to the ground, unconscious. Sanae, Ryuu, and Takeshi ran up from the cellar and joined Rini and Diana Droid as they faced off with the remaining two guards.

"Hands up, all of you!"

Rini tossed Diana Droid high up into the air. "Diana Droid, shield!" she commanded. An opalescent wall appeared between the groups, and Rini yelled "Run!" to her friends as the firing began.

 _Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat!_

Bullets bounced off of the shield, ricocheting around the shiny aluminum kitchens. Rini followed Ryuu, Takeshi, and Sanae as they bolted back down the narrow hall that Rini had come from, bursting out onto the surface of the Moon.

"Head toward the tram tunnel!" Rini ordered her friends, pointing to the open door in a long white tube 100 yards away. She slammed the castle door behind them.

"What about D.D.!" said Sanae.

"It can take care of itself!" shouted Rini. "Go!"

There was movement in her peripheral vision, and a second later someone slammed into Rini, smacking her against the castle's stone wall. Stars of pain burst before her eyes.

"Sailor Moon." Rini recognized the voice that growled her name from the guard's mouth. It was the one that had spoke to her through Kotori last night.

"Don't struggle," he said. "It is pointless. Our fates are intertwined. _Oof!"_

The guard hit the ground, unconscious. Takeshi had struck him in the back of his head with the butt of his gun, which he now lowered as he held out a hand to Rini. She grabbed it and the two sprinted across the dusty moonscape to join Sanae and Ryuu in the waiting tram.


	16. Arrest

Act 2/ Scene 8: Arrest

Takeshi practically tossed Rini inside the tram, then jumped in and slammed the door behind him. The tram began to move.

"It's heading back toward the castle!" Ryuu said. "We need to go the other way!"

"How do we stop it?" asked Takeshi.

Sanae was examining the tram's electrical box. "I'm not sure! D.D. rerouted us before! Why'd you leave her behind, Rini!"

 _"You're_ the mechanics genius, Sanae, fix it!" ordered Rini.

"I need some time!"

"We don't have any time!" Takeshi pointed out. He joined Sanae by the electrical box and yanked a handful of wires out of their sockets, ignoring Sanae's protest.

The tram slowed and stopped, the lights flickering off.

They were plunged into darkness.

"Great!" came Sanae's voice through the dark, dripping with sarcasm. "Way to not be a complete brute about it, Takeshi."

"We can't go back to that Moon Castle, they're trying to shoot us!"

"We can't just sit here either!" said Rini. Her chest was beginning to tighten as the blackness swirled around her.

"I'm working on it!" said Sanae's voice.

"How can you even see anything!" Rini's pulse was pounding in her ears. She felt somebody brush against her, and she recoiled with a loud gasp.

"It's just me," said Takeshi's voice. "Here, hold still." There was some rustling, and Rini felt a weight being placed on her head as Takeshi gave her his helmet. The tram became illuminated by night vision. Rini saw Sanae, also wearing a helmet, deftly replacing the wires in the electrical box.

The moments stretched like hours, but then the lights flashed back on and the tram began to move in the direction of the Moon Base. The group shared a collective sigh of relief. Rini handed Takeshi back his helmet with a small smile, and was surprised to see Takeshi's cheeks flush bright and rosy.

She then turned to face Sanae and Ryuu.

"What the hell were you guys doing in that castle?" asked Rini.

"We were working to complete D.D.'s mission," said Ryuu.

"Which is what, exactly?"

"We're looking for an ancient computer system called Eternity Main," said Sanae. "It's power will save the Moon Base."

"Save it from what!"

"You know what, Rini!" snapped Sanae, at the same time as Ryuu said, "Something is coming, we all feel it. Stop pretending you can't, Rini. We need your help."

Rini fought to keep her breathing steady. "Nothing is coming, everything is fine!" she said. "Or it _was,_ until you two started risking your lives-and Takeshi's!-based on the words of some alien robot!"

"I chose to go and help them," said Takeshi.

"Then you're just as stupid as they are!"

"It's okay to be afraid, Rini," said Ryuu gently. "We all are."

"I'm not afraid."

"Well you should be," said Sanae, crossing her arms. "There's an army on the Moon, trained for a war being fought throughout the Solar System. D.D. says it won't be enough. It says you alone have the power to save the Moon."

"Why does it have to be me!" Rini was shouting now. "It isn't fair! I don't have power, and I don't want it! I just want to get Placed, so I can go to Earth or Venus and never look back!"

"It isn't fair that this unknown evil is attacking our Base, but it is, so we have to deal with it!"

"It isn't true."

Sanae, red-faced and furious, made to respond, but Ryuu stopped her.

"You know there's danger, Rini, that's why you believed D.D. and came to save us today," Ryuu said.

Rini shook her head. Her whole body was shaking. The tram was finally pulling into the Moon Base, and the destination board read, LIVING QUARTERS, SECTION M. When it stopped and the doors open, Rini stalked out. There were people on the platform waiting for the tram.

"It's that Guardian of the Moon girl from last night!" said a student to her friend. Both blushed as Rini glared at them.

Rini stalked off the platform. Takeshi and Sanae followed, disguised by their black helmets and visors, and Ryuu brought up the rear. He still had the blue bandana around his nose and mouth.

"I'm burning this wig and gas mask!" Rini growled. "I've had it with this charade!"

"That's the spirit," said a deep voice. The group stopped and looked around for the source. The residents on the platform were still in view, but the voice seemed to have come from right next to where they stood.

Sanae saw it first. She grasped Ryuu's arm and pointed at the shadow that moved of its own volition, across the ceiling and down the walls, onto the floor, where it rose and took the shape of a man dressed in clothes unlike any Rini had ever seen before.

"Please don't be startled," the man said with a smile. "I'm only here for one of you." In a blink, he had glided across the floor and apprehended Takeshi, forcing his hands behind his back.

Takeshi's muscles strained. "Let go!" he shouted.

"You need to come with me, Takeshi," said the man. Ryuu lifted his weapon, aiming a swift strike at the man. Still holding Takeshi with one hand, the man used his other to block the attack. His hand glowed with a golden flame that instantly melted part of the metal weapon and caused the other part to glow cherry red. Ryuu shouted and released the gun.

Sanae charged the man, and without even thinking, Rini followed her lead. A wall of flame sprung up between them and their target.

"Go ahead and use my fire to burn those silly disguises," said the man. "You won't be needing them. Miss Poudrietteite has everything under control! And I'd stay on her good side, if I were you."

He winked at the girls, and then he was gone. Takeshi was gone, as well. The fire had disappeared, and the only evidence it have ever existed was the curling smoke that twisted about the room, rapidly dissipating.

"Takeshi!" Ryuu's voice was sharp with shock. Sanae ran over to him, gingerly examining the palms of his hands. She bit back her gasp. His palms were red and already beginning to blister.

"You see what we are up against?" she snapped at Rini. "Are you going to deny this, too?"

"I…" Rini faltered. She moved to help Sanae gently get Ryuu to his feet.

"We're fine!" said Sanae, shoving Rini back.

"Let me help."

"You want to help?" said Sanae. "Find D.D. And find Takeshi. And stop that _thing,_ whatever it was!"

Rini stepped aside, allowing Sanae and Ryuu to pass. They had almost made it to the end of the hall when Rini called after them.

She said. "I'll make this right!"

"You better," said Sanae. She lead Ryuu from the hall, leaving Rini with the staring residents from the tram platform, and the smoking, twisted pile of metal that had been an automatic weapon just minutes before.

 **How are you guys liking the story so far? I re-read it and feel like it needs so much editing and work! I'm gonna keep pressing ahead though, and hopefully once it is complete I can do a full edit to make things flow faster and more smooth.**


	17. Prisioner

Arc 1: Moon

Act 3: Moon Festival

Scene 1: Prisoner

Safely camouflaged by it's cloaking mechanism, Diana Droid was poking around the Moon Castle, scanning and gathering data. It's eye screens were black and green code scrolled across them quickly as it logged information into it's data base.

It was in the cylindrical room scanning the image of the goddess on the ceiling when Peri materialized onto the floor below with a _shhrrooom_. He had a firm hold on Takeshi, who was handcuffed. One black-clad guard called to another, and the two walked over to where Peri stood.

"Take him to the dungeons," Peri instructed the guards, shoving Takeshi forward. The guards obeyed, and Peri shifted back into his shadow form, scuttling up the walls past Diana Droid, _whisssk,_ up to the top floor where it slipped under the crack of the only door, ornate and gilded, on the upper landing.

Voices began speaking on the other side of the large door, but they were low and Diana Droid could hardly make them out, even with it's sophisticated speakers.

The droid was still hanging around outside of the door when Chief Anzen hurried into the hall minutes later. The guards on the stairwell stood aside to let him pass, and Anzen took the stairs two at a time until he reached the top landing. His brow was furrowed and his jaw set as he gave a brief two knocks before walking in through the door. Diana Droid followed discreetly behind him, floating into a airy, open room. Light spilled in through the ceiling to floor windows, gleaming off the polished wooden desk, the marble floors, the gilded furniture, the rose-colored chandelier.

Poudrietteite sat on a pink tufted couch, where a lavish tea service sat sparkling on top of an oval coffee table adjacent. Peri sat opposite her, in a gilded chair placed next to a fireplace that was currently unlit. Poudrietteite wore a dress of baby pink and white lace, and her wide-brimmed picture hat was adorned with flashing pink diamonds.

The guards on the inside of the door immediately surrounded Anzen, but Poudrietteite waved them away.

"Chief Anzen," she said, remaining in her seat. "I wasn't expecting you today."

Anzen crossed the large room to approach the pair, his footsteps echoing.

"Peri took one of my Moon Base residents, Takeshi, into custody," he said. "All Moon Base residents are under my protection. You must release him to me, so I can take him back to holding cells on the Moon Base."

"Anzen, you know Peri was only acting under my orders," said Poudrietteite. "I have important guests arriving from the Sister Planets, as well as Mars. I need things done quickly if I am to ensure their safety."

"I'm getting results as quickly as humanly possible."

"And with Peri's help, things are getting done even faster."

"You can't keep Takeshi in the dungeons of the Moon Castle, it's archaic!"

"Takeshi is perfectly safe."

"And what about Vin? I have a suspect in custody covered in burns because of Peri!"

"We've had a breach in the Alpha Lunar shield for the first time in 15 years, Anzen. I have guests arriving from thoughout the Solar System. Perhaps you are underestimating the gravity of the situation?"

"No, Miss. The safety of the Moon's civilians and visitors are the top concern for both of us, I believe." Anzen procured his hand-held device, which he placed on the coffee table in front of Poudretteite. "This is Peri questioning Vin," he said, showing her the footage of Peri searing the back on Vin's neck with his hand.

"Miss Poudretteite wished for a name, and I delivered it," said Peri.

"And this is Peri putting Takeshi into custody in my Moon Base." A wall of fire roared up, singeing the walls and floor of the small hallways. A blonde girl in a gas mask and another in a black helmet shouted and ducked away from the flames.

"His recklessness nearly harmed those residents!" Anzen continued.

Poudrietteite leaned forward, her round, sky blue eyes flashing.

"That girl…" she said. "Peri, play back the footage from the Moon Castle's kitchens earlier today."

Peri snapped his fingers, and Anzen's screen changed to the video feed from the kitchens, where the same girl stood before the cellar door she had just opened.

"I'm the Guardian of this Moon!" the girl shouted at a guard. "And I'm here to save my friends!" Three others, two with helmets and one with a bandana covering his face, ran up from the cellar to join her.

"Takeshi was with this girl when you apprehended him!" Poudretteite said. "Peri, she and her friends breached the Moon Castle and possibly the shield! You should have arrested them."

"You only sent me for Takeshi," Peri said calmly.

"Please, Miss Poudretteite, Peri is not human!" Anzen said. "He does not harbor the best interests of the Moon's civilians. He is a weapon and a danger every time you send him on a mission!"

Poudretteite's gaze remained calm and cold as she switched it from Anzen to Peri.

"Peri, who is this 'Guardian of the Moon'?" Poudretteite had paused the video feed on the blonde's face, ruby eyes glaring over the rim of a pink gas mask.

"I do not know," Peri admitted. "She wore that mask the entire time."

Poudretteite gracefully selected the creamer from the tea service next to her. It was beautiful, a solid gold vessel, with a long neck and spout that glittered with a mosaic of tiny mirrored tiles and gems of red, green, blue and purple. Peri stiffened, eyeing the creamer darkly.

"Chief Anzen and I will have a word in private, Peri," said Poudretteite, keeping her polished pinky up as she lifted the creamer's lid. Peri opened his mouth, but before the words could come out he had turned back into a shadow and was sucked into the creamer's depths. Poudretteite replaced the lid and put the creamer back on the tea service, next to the matching sugar dish and long-necked teapot.

"Peri is reckless, and has only his own interests at heart," Anzen said.

"I have him under control," Poudretteite said. "My use of him would not be necessary if you had apprehended Takeshi immediately."

"I had searched the Moon Base thoroughly for him," Anzen said. "Now we know that he was in the Moon Castle at the time. If it had not been for Peri, we might have had a chance to apprehend this 'Guardian of the Moon' girl, and her friends as well."

"But we do have Takeshi in custody now because of Peri," Poudrietteite pointed out. "I want you to find out what Takeshi knows about the missing footage. Find out if he was acting under her orders, and find out who she is. And once you have her, Anzen, bring her to me. And please do hurry, Anzen. You don't want me to use my djinn? Then prove to me that I don't have to!"

With a curt bow, Anzen left the room. Diana Droid had been hovering around, blending into the rich environment of the room for the duration of the events. Now it followed Anzen outside just as stealthily as it had slid in.

Anzen walked quickly down the corkscrew stairway, heading toward a hall once he reached the ground level. The hall lead him to a square room with a stone floor and a large, wrought-iron gate all along one end that was guarded by three black-clad guards. The allowed him through. The walls behind the gate were made of stone like the floor, and Anzen flicked on a light from his device as he descended the staircase that lead him down, down, down into the cool basement that was lined with cells. There was only one cell with a closed door.

A heavy iron key was on the hook next to the door, and Anzen used it to let himself inside. He shone his light on Takeshi, who squinted at the brightness.

"You can't keep me down here," Takeshi snarled. His handcuffs had been bound to a chain built into the stone wall. Anzen set the light in the corner, illuminating the tiny room with an electronic glow.

"I'm working on getting you transported back to the Moon Base," Anzen explained. "Until then, there is not much I can do, Takeshi, unless you answer my questions. We know you were the one who compromised the security footage the night the basement was trashed."

"I threw a little party for my friends," Takeshi said. "Nobody was hurt. The broken water line was an accident."

"Who attended this party?"

"I'm not giving you any names. The party was my idea."

"The night of the party, the Moon's Alpha Lunar shield failed. What can you tell me about this?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

Anzen studied Takeshi in the dim light for a minute before reaching for his device.

"Who are they?" Anzen asked, showing Takeshi the picture of the four disguised friends in the Moon Castle.

"I don't know."

"Takeshi, we know this is you-" Anzen pointed to the tallest friend, clearly Takeshi's bulky frame even though his face was obscured by a black helmet.

"You broke into the Moon Castle and accosted a handful of guards. Along with tampering with the security cameras, you have quite a list of offenses against you."

Takeshi tensed, but didn't say anything. Anzen continued.

"You were a Base Force Police Officer before this, Takeshi. Surely you understand how important the safety of our small community is?"

"I was never trying to hurt anybody, Chief."

"Then what were you and your friends trying to do?"

When Takeshi kept silent, Anzen asked, "How do you manage to find out about the Moon Castle, anyways?"

"I overheard my superiors discussing it while working for the police," Takeshi said.

"And how did you arrive here?"

"The tram."

"Takeshi, I know you are not working alone. Who are your friends, and what is your motive? If you do not answer my questions, I will be forced to draw my own conclusions." Anzen scrolled to a video from the Moon Base's cafeteria the afternoon before the party, where Takeshi sat at a table with Ryuu and Sadie.

"We know these are your best friends, Takeshi," Anzen said. "Our facial recognition software has given us their names and living pod numbers." Takeshi stared at the screen as Ryuu and Sadie's professional pictures, along with their information, popped up side-by-side.

"They have nothing to do with this," Takeshi said, his voice low like a growl.

"Ryuu, we can assume, was the accomplice wearing a bandana. And this blondie Sadie is most likely our mysterious Guardian of the Moon."

"You're wrong. Leave them out of this."

"Then help me be right, Takeshi. Give me names. Give me reasons. I need answers."

Takeshi only shook his head.

"Then I'll get answers from one of your friends," said Anzen. He turned to go, shining the light on Takeshi one last time. "Guilty or not, Takeshi, we will get you out of this dungeon. In the meantime, I'll be back to make sure you have everything you need."

Anzen shut the door behind him. He didn't look back as he left. He was in a hurry, and did not notice that the door's lock failed to clang into place. Something was in the way.

 _Ping ping ping!_


	18. Heartbreak

Act 3/Scene 2: Heartbreak

Rini was sleeping, tossing restlessly under her lavender bunnies-and-moons blanket.

"Find Diana Droid!" Sanae was yelling at Rini from far away. "Save Takeshi!"

"Sanae...come back…" Rini mumbled in her sleep, watching as her friend faded into black. Ryuu appeared.

"Go to the Moon Castle!" he said. "Switch on Eternity Main!"

"I trying but...I don't know how…"

Ryuu faded away. Rini was outside the Moon Castle, on her knees in the moon dust. Her legs were heavy as led. There was a bright light to her right.

"We need you now more than ever," said the black-clad guard standing outside of the Moon Castle. Rini turned toward the bright light, and saw that the Moon Base was burning.

The guard removed his helmet, revealing his strong features, his golden eyes, his platinum locks, all lit by the fire's glow. "We need you, Sailor Moon."

"I'm trying!" Rini raised a knee, struggling to stand. "I'll save them, I promise!"

 _Buzzzz!_ _Buzzzz!_

Rini jerked awake.

 _Buzzz!_ _Buzzzz!_ Teiko was calling her.

"Hello?"

"Rini! Where the hell have you been! I've called you like 54 times!"

Rini's heart began to race, the image of the burning Moon Base still imprinted in her mind.

"What's happening?" she asked.

"Seriously? The Science Faire!" Teiko said. "We have to finish our project today! How do you expect to be Placed unless you win? Did you forget that the judging is tonight!"

"Of course not! I'll be right there, Teiko."

"I'm on my way to the Moon Festival right now, meet me outside the arena."

"I'll be there in 15 minutes!" Rini promised. She jumped out of bed and took a precious minute to examine herself in the mirror. Her chin was beginning to bruise from where the guard had slammed her into the Moon Castle's stone wall. Her eyes looked like they were bruised too, though Rini realized that was just the dark circles from not sleeping. She slapped on some concealer, smoothed down her mussed pink hair, threw on a pair of clean blue jeans and ran out the door.

The annual Moon Festival gave the Moon Base new life. The Festival was two days of combat, dance, art, mechanical and scientific faires, and, for the students on the Moon Base, it was the best time to catch the eye of a representative from the Sister Planets if you wished to be Placed at a university, higher learning institute, or advance training facility.

"Rini! There you are!" Teiko was waiting outside the entrance of the arena like she had promised, her arms loaded with papers and materials for their project's display. "It's not like you to be so careless about such a big project. That's my job!" Teiko grinned at her own joke before adding, "seriously, though, is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine," Rini said. What she thought was, _Everything is so_ not _fine._ "I just haven't been getting a lot of sleep."

Teiko raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Fine, you don't want to tell me? We can talk about it later," she said. "Let's go inside and set up!"

The arena was filled with people. Visitors from Earth were there, a strong, happy people who talked loud and moved quickly, and visitors from Venus as well, a gentle, beautiful folk who prized grace and wisdom. There were also the grim-faced soldiers returning from the Red War on Mars.

The girls passed by Sanae in the crowd.

"Sanae!" Teiko ran up to give her friend a huge hug. Rini hung back a step. "I haven't seen you in like two days!" Teiko said. "Where have you been?"

"I've been busy," Sanae said casually, shooting Rini a dark look.

"We've all been busy!" Teiko said, rolling her eyes even as she continued to smile. "You look like you haven't slept in a week! Hey, remember last year when you built that really cool shield for the mechanics faire? You nearly got Placed a year early! I can't wait to see your genius project for this year."

"I…I'm not submitting a project this year."

"What?! That's impossible, this is the most important year! Sanae-"

"Like I said, Teiko, I've been really busy. I have to get going."

Sanae brushed past Teiko, toward Rini.

"How's Ryuu?" Rini asked as Sanae approached.

"He's fine," Sanae said shortly. "How's Takeshi?"

Rini bit her lip. "I haven't…"

"Of course you haven't," said Sanae. She passed by, knocking her shoulder hard into Rini, forcing the pink-haired girl to take a step back.

"Sanae! Wait!" Teiko called after her as she disappeared into the crowd. "Rini, aren't you going to say anything?"

"Let's just go," said Rini.

"Rini! What the hell is going on between you two?" Teiko asked. "What did she say to you? You are my two closest friends! Why are you leaving me in the dark?"

"Look, we just had a fight, ok?"

"So what she's dating your brother!" Teiko said. "Get over it!"

"It's not that. We're just...not on speaking terms right now."

"Sanae isn't even submitting a project this year!" Teiko continued. "How can you just stand around as your best friend throws away her future?"

"I have no idea why she isn't participating, Teiko, but it's her choice! Look, I'll talk with her, ok? But it's gonna have to wait until after we set up our project."

"Ok, but I'm holding you to it, Rini!"

The project's set up took a large portion of the afternoon. Rini welcomed the distraction.

The Science Faire was hard work , but _this I_ _understand,_ thought Rini. _This_ _I can solve._ _Unlike Moon Castles and fire djinn and rescuing my friends from_ _a dangerous, unknown enemy!_

Rini meticulously placed the final touches on the project. Teiko had temporarily abandoned her, but now reappeared with two giant ice cream cones.

"I love the life this Moon Festival brings to our boring little base!" Teiko said, raising the cones in exuberance and grinning at the people who stared at her. She held one cone out to Rini, cherry ice cream with pink heart sprinkles and strawberry pocky sticks. Rini took the ice cream and ate a bite, flooding her taste buds with creamy sweetness. She realized this was the first food she had eaten since yesterday's breakfast.

"I love everybody's outfits!" Teiko was saying. "I love the culture! But most especially I love the food!" she had already eaten half of her own chocolate cone. "The project looks great, Rini! C'mon, it's break time. Everybody's heading toward the fight in the arena!"

"Okay, let's go."

The girls joined the sea of people spilling into the fighting rink, which was at the heart of the large, airy arena. Rini was just finishing her ice cream and wondering where they should sit when she heard her name.

"Rini! Teiko!"

Kait, Greg, and Airi were seated high in the pop-up aluminum bleachers. They waved the girls over to the empty seats in front of them, and the girls went to sit with their classmates.

The crowd was roaring at the two fierce female figures in the fighting ring.

"What'd we miss?" asked Teiko.

"Kotori has been kicking ass!" said Greg, pointing out the scoreboard. Kotori's name was near the top, next to the girl's name that she was currently fighting: Hayata.

"Hayata is a soldier from Earth," Greg explained. "She trains under the legendary fighter Effie, who is the youngest combatant teacher on Earth! If Kotori wants to prove herself, than this fight is a major one for her."

Rini watched Kotori duck and dodge, dancing around her opponent. She remembered the crack she had heard when Kotori's elbow had slammed against Diana Droid's shield during the odyssey, and noticed the way Kotori held her elbow inward, as though protecting herself.

Kotori and Hayata exchanged blows, then went back to cautiously circling each other.

The crowd was roaring.

"Get her!"

"On your left!"

"Finish her!"

"Those soldier boys are loving this," Airi said. She pointed to a rowdy group at the front of the fighting ring, and Rini saw Masaru cheering among them. He was no longer in a wheelchair, but still wore his leg cast and was propping himself up with a pair of crutches.

Just seeing him made Rini's heart race. I _have to tell him how I_ _feel,_ she reminded herself. Teiko followed Rini's stare and nudged her friend in the ribs, wriggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"Rini, you're blushing," Teiko pointed out. Rini stuck her tongue out at her friend.

"So what?" she said, continuing to stare as Masaru exchanged a high-five with one of his friends.

The crowd began to cheer wildly, and Rini tore her eyes from Masaru just as Hayata knocked Kotori onto her back. Hayata threw her weight down to pin Kotori, but like a flash Kotori rolled out from underneath and hopped on top of Hayata.

I _remember that speed from the night of the odyssey,_ Rini thought. Kotori pinned Hayata, who struggled helplessly. _Kotori makes it look effortless!_

Rini knew it wasn't, though. Kotori was covered in sweat, and her chest was heaving as the referee called the fight to a stop and declared Kotori the winner. The referee raised Kotori's arm in victory, and Rini saw the slightest flinch flit across Kotori's flushed face as her elbow was forced to move.

"The winner-Kotori of the Moon Base!" the referee roared over the cheering of the crowd. "Kotori is finalist number 2! Tomorrow she will compete with our other finalist for the championship! Who will be the ultimate victor!"

The crowd's cheering eventually died down, and the viewers began to disperse.

"Rini, where are you going?" asked Teiko.

"I'll meet you back by the science project in ten, Teiko!"

Teiko gave a knowing grin.

"Oh, I see!" she said. "Tell Masaru I said hi!"

Flushed but determined, Rini shoved her way through the crowd, heading toward the group of soldiers. Masaru was lost among them, and Rini pushed her way through the group, a petite pink-haired girl in tight jeans catching a few eyes.

"Hey, little lady!" a soldier called, winking at her. Rini smiled back, but she was on a mission and did not stop. She caught sight of Masaru, leaning against the gate surrounding the fighting ring, his amethyst eyes sparkling as he laughed at something somebody had said. The crowd shifted against Rini, and she found herself shoved against the ring as well, getting lost in the sea of tall soldiers.

"Masaru!" Rini called, waving to get his attention.

He smiled, his teeth white and straight, his dimples deepening, and Rini's heart nearly beat out of her rib cage as he raised his arm and waved. Only he wasn't waving at her. Kotori stepped down from the fighting ring, directly in front of Rini, blocking her view. She had a good couple inches on Rini, and was glowing with the fire of victory. Everybody began to clap, turning their focus to Kotori.

"Congratulations!"

"Damn, girl, you can _fight."_

"Good show! Good show!"

"Thanks, guys," Kotori said to the soldiers, who continued to shake her hand or pat her on the back.

"Kotori!" Masaru swung himself closer on his crutches, waving to get her attention.

"Masaru!" Kotori says. "You're back!" Rini felt her heart sink.

She stood next to them, but neither Masaru or Kotori noticed her. Masaru's eyes were locked on the victor. Kotori hugged him, and he put his arms around her waist and pulled her into a closer embrace. Kotori pulled back slightly, and the way they stared at each other, like they were the only two in the entire arena, made Rini's throat burn.

"You were amazing!" Masaru marveled. "Effie's fighters are legendary, but Hayata didn't stand a chance against you!"

"She almost had me near the end," Kotori admitted.

Masaru shook his head, "You were the best when I left, and somehow you've become even better!"

And then he kissed her, in front of everybody, in front of Rini. The soldiers around them began to cheer. To Rini, the roaring sounded like her world shattering apart. She needed to leave.

Rini fell back, merging with the thinned crowd as the last of the viewers exited the arena.

A tear rolled down her cheek, and Rini angrily brushed it away. _Of course he prefers Kotori!_ She felt like running, but forced herself to walk. Teiko caught up with her as she stormed past the science faire area.

"Rini, what's wrong!"

"It's nothing, it's.." she looked at Teiko, who's doe eyes were so full of warmth and concern. "It's Masaru," she said, fighting to keep her voice steady. "He's with Kotori."

"Oh, no, Rini…"

"I was gonna tell him how I felt-I'm so stupid for thinking he would want to be with me!"

"No, Rini, you're not," insisted Teiko. "Look, I know you think he's so great, but he's really just some stupid boy who doesn't deserve someone as great as you!"

Rini rolled her eyes, which distracted her from crying. "I really like him, though, Teiko!" she said.

Teiko put her arm around Rini and said, "Listen. We're about to win this science faire, which will give you a one-way ticket to the academy on Venus! I mean, have you seen the men from Venus? Just look at them!" Two tall guys were passing by, dressed in the flowing style of Venusuian fashion. One was built, and the other was slender with glasses and silken hair that curled around his face. They both smiled when they noticed the girl's attention, looking over their shoulders as they walked by.

"They look like gods, and they're wicked smart!" Teiko said. "You were never meant to be with a soldier anyways, Rini, you're way too brainy for that!"

"I'm not sure if that's a compliment or not, Teiko."

"I mean it, Rini. You've got a strong heart and are going to do brilliant things. You shouldn't settle for just any guy!"

"Thanks, Teiko."

"C'mon, we have a little time before judging begins. Let's focus on finishing our project, and make sure it is absolutely going to impress the scholars from Venus."

"Okay."

"Plus if we finish soon, I'll take you out to dinner."

Rini sighed and hugged her friend. "My consolation date! Thanks, Teiko. Have I told you how much I love you?"

Teiko laughed and steered her friend back in the direction of their project.


	19. Kotori

Act 3/Scene 3: Kotori

Masaru waited for Kotori outside of the locker room. She emerged showered and clean, smelling like jasmine and wearing dark leggings and a cropped top that revealed a few inches of her muscular core. Her blonde hair fell in damp waves around her, the sea-green tips ending at her waist.

"I remember four years ago, when you first walked into Ms. First's class," Masaru told her. "You were so pretty, everybody was already noticing you. And then when we saw you fight...well, I think everybody was a little afraid of you after that."

"They should be," said Kotori, but she caught Masaru's eye and smiled just a bit. She began to walk down the hall, and Masaru came with her, swinging himself along in time with her fluid gait.

"I bet you could kick my ass, even if I didn't have the crutches," he said.

"I bet I could, too."

"Look, Kotori, I was hoping we could celebrate tonight. I smuggled back a bottle of fire spirit from Mars, it's incredible stuff, I was thinking we could go drink it back in the dormitory they set me up in."

"I can't, I have to be ready to fight tomorrow." Kotori walked with a cool, forward focus, barely sparing Masaru a look.

"How about just dinner, then?"

Kotori shook her head.

"It doesn't have to be tonight! We can wait until after the tournament. For old time's sake." He gave her a big grin, one she didn't return.

"You're my friend, Masaru, and I respect you as a soldier. But I'm not interested in anything else."

Masaru's grin fell flat. "But the kiss…"

"It's been a year, Masaru. I think we were both excited to see each other. Don't think it meant anything more than what it was."

"How can you say that? What about what we had before I left?"

"What exactly was that?" Kotori was beginning to sound annoyed.

"What exactly..Kotori! What about all those sexy late nights…how about when I told you I loved you before I left last year! I thought you felt the same way!" Masaru had stopped walking, now staring incredulously at Kotori.

She sighed, facing him. "We had fun, Masaru. It wasn't much more than that." She continued to walk, and Masaru hobbled quickly after her.

"But now that I'm back, we can make it more!" Masaru said.

"I'm fighting for Placement on Earth. I don't have the time for a boyfriend or a lover or whatever you are trying to be."

"How can you be so cold!" Masaru yelled, and a pair of Moon Base residents walking by turned to stare at them. Kotori glared at them, then at Masaru. She said-

"You think just because we had sex a year ago, you could come back and expect the same?"

"I still love you, Kotori, I still want to be with you."

Kotori lips twitched, a sneering smile she tried to restrain. "I never loved you, Masaru. You knew that last year. We agreed to just have fun. Why are you making this so difficult."

"I thought after a year apart, you might think differently."

"Look, Masaru. I'm happy you're back, and that you're safe. But I have a lot to focus on right now, and I don't need you around, demanding attention and crying when you don't get what you want."

"I'm not going to demand your attention, Kotori. I've changed since I went to Mars. I thought you'd change too, but I see you're still just the same heartless bitch you've always been, maybe even a bit colder."

Kotori shot Masaru a venomous glare, but all she said was, "I'll see you around, Masaru." She cooley walked away, a graceful glide. Masaru smashed his fist into the wall, gritting his teeth against the hard force.

"Can't say I surprised," he admitted to himself. He growled, then sighed, shaking himself as he leaned into the wall. "I survived the fire and darkness of the Red War," he reminded himself. "I suppose I can survive a little rejection, too."

 _Ding!_

The tram's destination board flashed, LIVING PODS, SECTION Q.

Kotori hopped off the tram and made her way down the hall, passing by groups of Moon Base scientists accompanied by visitors in Venusuian fashion. She made her way to living pod #37, an extended model at the end of the hall. The electronic eye scanned her retina before the aluminum door _whisssked_ up for her, revealing her circular living quarters.

The living room was more of a training room than anything else, with bars and weights and a sparing dummy in the center, a weighted punching bag hanging in a corner. There was only one couch in the room, black with an aluminum frame. A blonde man sat there, his blue eyes, so dark they were nearly black, focused patiently on the door. They now settled on Kotori.

"Kotori."

"Papa," she said, fighting to keep the surprise from her voice.

"Don't just stand there. Come in."

She obeyed, the door sliding closed behind her.

She said, "I didn't expect you until tomorrow morning."

"I caught your fight with Hayata," he said. "She threw you onto the ground. Why did you allow that to happen?"

"I misjudged the timing."

Kotori's father rose, his muscular frame filling the small room. He narrowed his eyes at his daughter.

"You are injured, Kotori. Your right elbow. How did that happen?" His spoke in a quite, lethal sort of way.

Kotori met her father's eyes. "I got into a fight."

"With who? How were they able to injure you?"

"I don't…remember. I went to a party and…I don't remember."

"Foolish girl," he said, and Kotori fought against her instinct to take a step backward, toward the door. "How could you compromise yourself in such a way!"

Kotori said nothing.

"Tell me…what do you remember about that night?"

"I remember dancing, then nothing, just darkness….I felt afraid," she admitted, that black glare pulling the truth from her.

"And?"

"And then there was water. A sprinkler line had broken, and it soaked everything. There was this blonde girl with a moon symbol on her forehead."

"Who was she?"

"I didn't see her face. She had on a pink gas mask. Everybody is calling her the Guardian of the Moon."

"And this mysterious Guardian of the Moon managed to injure you?"

"I don't remember," Kotori ground out. "Nobody does fully…it's all just pieces."

He sighed. "An odyssey," he said. "They're quite common on Earth, you'll come to find once you get Placed and come to live with your mother and I. That is, if you stop making such stupid mistakes." He grabbed her arm, twisting it so he could examine her elbow. It was all Kotori could do to keep from crying out.

"I didn't mean to fight anyone that night!" she insisted, her eyes watering at the pain.

"It's not the fight that worries me," he said calmly. "It's the fact that somebody injured you. I've trained you better than that. Nobody should be able to stop you." His grip increased on her elbow, squeezing hard, but instead of the pain getting worse, it began to feel better. When he let go, the pain was gone entirely.

"Papa!" she gasped out, moving her elbow around freely. "How…?"

"There is much more for you to learn once you come to Earth. But you must earn your own passage there, or rot forever within this tiny Moon Base. Tomorrow will be your toughest fight yet, and the deciding factor. You had better be ready."

"I am," Kotori said. "I've been ready for years."

"You say that, and yet when I come all the way to this forsaken place to visit you, I find you have been injured by another, perhaps greater, fighter."

"There is no greater fighter on this Moon than me," Kotori said.

"I will talk to Poudrietteite to see if she can shed any light on who this Guardian of the Moon girl is. I should very much like to meet her. And you, prepare yourself for tomorrow. Do not humiliate me with a defeat. I have no qualms about returning to Earth without you. If you cannot fight your way off this Moon Base, than there is no room for you back on Earth with mama and me."

"I'll win, Papa," said Kotori.

Her father strode toward the door, giving his daughter a black glare before exiting her living pod and leaving her with that familiar feeling of being alone. Kotori balled her hands into fists and launched a running high kick at her punching bag. She hit it again and again, beating the bag until it tore from the ceiling and landed onto the floor, spilling sand from the deep gashes Kotori's fists had ripped into it. She stared at her bloodied knuckles and felt ready for tomorrow's fight.


	20. Escape

Act 3/Scene 4: Escape

 _Ping ping ping!_

The familiar sound was accompanied by a flash of light, and Takeshi found his small, dirty cell being illuminated.

"D.D.!" he grinned at the droid. "Can you get me out of here?"

"Digital locks are more along my program's codes," said Diana Droid, hovering next to lock-and-key handcuffs, scanning them.

"I just need a key," Takeshi said. "Did you happen to see where Anzen placed it when he left?"

Diana Droid's eye-shaped screens flashed as it said "Yes! One moment…" It floated outside of the cell, knocking it's body against the metal key hanging on a hook beside the door.

 _Clank!_

The key fell onto the stone floor. Diana Droid bounced itself into the key, and it flew across the cell and clattered to a stop next to Takeshi's feet. After some effort, Takeshi managed to unlock his handcuffs. They clattered loudly to the stone floor.

"We have to get back to the Moon Base!" said Takeshi as he rubbed his now-freed wrists. He stuck his head tentatively out of the cell.

"Somebody's coming!" Diana Droid warned, and Takeshi saw a beam of light flickering at the end of the hall, wielded by the shadowy form of a Moon Castle guard. Takeshi ducked back into his cell, easing the door closed until it was an inch from locking. He flattening himself against the stone wall.

Footsteps approached.

"When he comes in, shine the brightest light you have directly at him," Takeshi whispered to Diana Droid.

 _Ping_! was the droid's response, flashing it's antenna once in confirmation.

The guard was close enough now that Takeshi could hear his radio beeping as the channel opened, and a voice buzzed, "Anything suspicious down there?"

"Everything seems quiet…" the guard was saying.

 _Bleep! "_ Check the prisoner, then report back to the ballroom. Poudrietteite is about to make her speech," the voice over the radio said.

"Copy," said the guard, his voice echoing down the dark halls. A light shone through the cell's tiny window as the guard inspected the door.

"What the hell?" he mumbled, pushing the door open. Diana Droid's eyes lit up like a beacon, and the white-hot light nearly blinded Takeshi.

" _AHHH!"_ the guard screamed, taking the full brunt of the light. The sound triggered Takeshi, who lunged at the guard and tackled him onto the floor. He ripped off the guard's helmet, just as Ryuu had done the previous day, and bashed it across the guard's temple, rendering him unconscious.

"Works pretty well," Takeshi mumbled. "Thanks, Ryuu."

"Hurry!" urged Diana Droid, and Takeshi swapped clothing with the guard before handcuffing him within the cell. Takeshi jammed the helmet onto his head and grabbed the guard's gun plus the heavy iron key before hurrying out into the empty dungeon hall, Diana Droid floating behind. He slammed the cell closed, making sure the locked clicked into place, and rushed in the direction of the dungeon's exit.

"There is an item we must collect before we return to the Moon Base," Diana Droid told Takeshi.

"We don't have time!" said Takeshi. "We have to get back to warn Sadie and Ryuu before that fire djinn ends up throwing them in the dungeon too."

"This item will help us to stop Peri! It is located in the pent house at the top floor of the Moon Castle. It shouldn't be hard to take with your disguise."

"Alright," grumbled Takeshi, his voice muffled beneath the helmet, "but we need to hurry!" He raced up the stairs, then slowed as he reached the gate. There were two guards stationed there, and one opened the gate for him.

"Any trouble down there?" one of the guards asked as Takeshi stepped through the gate.

"Yeah," said Takeshi. "The prisoner escaped." He slammed his foot into the guard's chest, knocking the air from the guard's lungs. Then he pointed his weapon at the other guard, who had grabbed his gun.

"Drop it!" Takeshi demanded. The guard obeyed, his weapon clattering to the floor.

"Takeshi!" Diana Droid pinged. "Watch out!" the guard on the floor was gasping, also reaching for his weapon.

"Freeze," said Takeshi, holding the guard at gunpoint. He jerked his weapon in the direction of the stairs. "Get up. Get moving." Together, the guards shuffled back down to the dungeons, where Takeshi took their weapons and helmets and locked them up in an empty cell, chucking the key down the long, dark hallway. It clanked against the stone floor and slid into the shadows.

He and Diana Droid rushed back up the stairs once more. The wrought-iron gate was open before him, and the room was empty. There were multiple exits.

"Okay, D.D., which way do I go?"

"Forward, back into the main hall."

Takeshi rushed in that direction, and voices began to filter down the hallway. As the two neared the cylindrical room they saw that it was filled with people.

"I've never seen such finery!" Takeshi mumbled as he looked around the room. There were woman in exotic gowns of every color, their hair twisted and swept into a plethora of unique styles. The men wore robes and suits of silk and velvet.

"These are the ambassadors from the Sister Planets!" said Diana Droid. "We have to get to the center of the room, there, to reach the staircase. That will take us to the pent house!"

"Put on your cloaking device, D.D.," said Takeshi. He had noticed the Moon Castle guards stationed around the room in intervals. Takeshi joined them, becoming just another black-clad guard standing at the ready along the wall.

 _Clap clap clap, clap clap!_

The crowd quieted down as they began to look for the source of the clapping.

A sweet, girlish voice rang throughout the hall like a bell. "Welcome, all, to the Moon Castle!"

Everybody in the room turned to look at the speaker, who was standing on the first landing of the spiral staircase, smiling down at everybody. The woman's light pink curls flounced around her fine jawline, and she was pale and petite, with pink cheeks and large, round blue eyes like a doll's. She wore layers of pink skirts tied by a complimenting corset and her wide-brimmed hat was trimmed with a band that flashed and sparkled.

"She's adorable!" said Takeshi to the nearly-invisible Diana Droid. "She looks like Rini's older sister!"

"My name is Poudrietteite, and I am thrilled that so many of you were able to make the long journey from your home planets to visit my humble civilization here on the Moon. A special welcome to our emissaries from Earth…" she pointed to a man, who gave a nod, "from Venus…" a woman dressed in a flowing robe waved, "and from Mars!" the stone-faced man she alluded to remained unmoving.

"I'm sure you are all eager to freshen up before we enjoy tonight's festivities," continued Poudretteite. "Please feel free to return to your quarters, or to wander about the grounds of the Moon Castle. Dinner will be served very soon, and the trams will take us to the festival on the Moon Base in an hour. Once on the Base, I encourage you to talk to my residents, and be selective in deciding who you wish to invite back to your home world!" The crowd politely clapped.

"This is Placements!" Takeshi said over the clapping. "A handful of these people are responsible for so many of the Moon Base residents' futures!"

"Get closer!" Diana Droid urged. Takeshi slowly began to ease his way through the mingling guests. He kept an eye on Poudrietteite, who was heading for the crowd, her rhinestone glass heels clinking against each step as she made her way down.

"Princess Poudrietteite!" someone greeted her, extending a chivalristic hand as she neared the floor. She gracefully accepted it and was whisked away into the midst of the party. Delicious smells began to fill the room from the direction of the kitchens, and Takeshi's stomach gurgled in response.

"Get up those stairs!" Diana Droid said, and Takeshi pushed down his hunger as he started up the staircase. He walked with purpose, and nobody stopped or questioned him as he climbed up the corkscrew.

"These glass stairs make me a little nervous, D.D.," he admitted as they neared the fourth floor landing. "I can see the whole party down there through them!"

"Just keep walking, we're almost there," said Diana Droid.

"There is a guard stationed on the landing," Takeshi said.

"He shouldn't try to stop you. Walk past him, into the room, like you're suppose to be there," said the droid. "There should be a guard inside, too. He'll be the one you'll have to deal with."

Takeshi continued to move forward, and just as Diana Droid had assumed, the first guard did nothing more than slightly incline his head in acknowledgement as Takeshi strode past him, opened one of the double wooden doors, and walked into the pent house.

Takeshi stopped to admire the room. He couldn't help himself, it was so richly decorated, and there were many flowering plants growing that he had never seen before. Diana Droid bumped against the door, shutting it gently.

The guard on the inside was lounging comfortably on a fluffy white chair off in the corner of the room. He appeared to be looking out of one of the large ceiling-to-floor windows, but as Takeshi neared the guard he could hear the unmistakable sounds of snoring coming from within the guard's helmet. His weapon lay across his lap.

"The Base Force police officers are much better trained than these guys!" Takeshi said, shaking his head. He roughly kicked the chair with his heavy black boot. The guard jerked awake, then jumped to his feet when he saw Takeshi.

"I-I-ahem-sorry," the guard fumbled with his weapon, his voice catching nervously. "Is it shift-change already?"

Takeshi nodded, and the guard hurried toward the door and out of the room.

"These Moon Castle guards are an embarrassment," Takeshi said with a smirk.

"I doubt they've ever had to deal with any real threat to the Moon Castle," beeped Diana Droid. "The Moon civilization has lived in peace for the last 15 years." The droid turned off her cloaking mechanism and began to hover about the room, floating over to the sitting area where the pink tufted couch was.

"The item was right here!" she said, floating above the empty coffee table.

"What does it look like?"

"It's part of a golden tea service. It's the creamer, a small vessel with a long neck and matching spout, decorated with gems."

"There!" Takeshi spotted the tea service on the gleaming wooden desk and walked over to it. His mouth watered as he surveyed the mounds of cherry scones, jam sandwiches, and chocolate-coated cookies. The tiny lavender cakes looked especially irresistible.

"Takeshi!" Diana Droid pinged as he shoved a cake up under his visor and into his mouth. It tasted even better than it looked, and Takeshi grabbed a second and a third. Diana Droid flew over, knocking the sweets from his hands and onto the polished marble floor.

"We don't have time for your stomach!" the droid said. "Think about Ryuu and Sadie! Just grab the creamer, and let's go!"

Just then, the door flung open. Diana Droid winked out of sight as she re-activated her camouflage. Takeshi wheeled around, his weapon at the ready.

"Stand down!" Poudrietteite waved her hand dismissively at Takeshi as she hurried into the room. She was followed by a blonde man, built of lean muscle and dressed in the fashions of Earth. He moved with the quick quietness of a snake. They were in the middle of a discussion.

"Regardless, you cannot have a rebel running around you Moon Base," he was saying.

"I have Chief Anzen on the case," Poudrietteite responded.

"Anzen is a soft-hearted fool," the man spat the words. Poudrietteite turned to stare him down.

"You do not need to remind me what you think of my chief of police, Kai," she said quietly, her words dripping with intensity. "Do I need to remind you who is in charge up here?"

"If you're truly in charge, then demand results! You cannot afford to have a pack of masked renegades in your Moon City."

"I already have one of said renegades in custody."

"Because of Peri! Poudrietteite, you were given the djinn to use so that you could successful build and run your realm. Use him now."

"Peri's methods are volatile. He may harm my civilians."

"Only if they stand in his way. Your civilians should be afraid of you, Poudrietteite. If they truly knew the power you held, you would not be dealing with this Guardian of the Moon and her friends!"

Poudrietteite was quiet, seeming to consider his words.

"You've given Anzen plenty of time to bring in the new suspect. Send Peri. The quicker we question this new suspect, the quicker we will be to discovering the identity of this Guardian of the Moon." Kai added, "If you don't, then who knows what sort of trouble the rebels might stir up! It would be embarrassing for you during your Moon Festival. Even worse, it could prove dangerous to your realm and visitors."

"Very well," said Poudretteite, walking over to the golden tea service. She selected the creamer and delicately lifted the lid. A long , smoke like tendril crept out, winding around Poudrietteite before clustering in front of her, a cloud of smoke that shifted into the form of a man. He knelt at Poudrietteite's feet.

"My princess," he said, lowering his head even further. "How might I be of service?"

"Bring me the new suspects," she ordered.

"Your wish is my command," said Peri with a deep nod.

"Don't put them in the dungeon this time, however. Leave them in the Moon Base's interrogation room. Do not question them. We'll leave that to Anzen."

"Yes." Peri bowed. He became smoke again, filling the room with the smell of ashes. He whisked out of the door.

"Are you sure leaving the questioning to Anzen is a wise move?" asked Kai.

Poudretteite said. "What I do, I do for the safety of my Moon City and civilians. My orders are not to be questioned."

"Yes, Princess," said Kai, dipping his head in an acknowledging bow. "I must return to the Moon Base. Before I go, may I escort you back to your party?" He offered Poudretteite an arm, which she accepted. Together, the two strode out of the room.

The door swung shut behind them.

 _Slam!_

Takeshi let out the breath he had been holding, his posture relaxing slightly. Diana Droid rolled out from behind a potted plant.

"This is bad!" the droid said. "Peri is going after Sadie and Ryuu!"

"Not if I can help it!" Takeshi said. He rushed back over to the desk and snagged the creamer from the tea service, ripping off the lid.

"Return, evil djinn!" he commanded, holding the creamer above his head. Nothing happened. He tried again. "Peri, I command you to return to your vessel!"

Diana Droid floated upside-down in thought as Takeshi lowered the creamer, looking confused.

"It's not working?" he asked.

"It should work!" said Diana Droid. "All djinn have a vessel, and they can be controlled by it."

"Maybe Peri needs to be in the room," guessed Takeshi. "C'mon, D.D., we're wasting time. Let's take the creamer back to the Moon Base, maybe it won't be too late for us to warn Ryuu and Sadie!"

Diana Droid's curling antenna pinged in response, and the two hurried from the room.

Past the guard, down the stairs, most people had moved off to dine and nobody was around to observe Takeshi as he and the nearly-invisible droid made their way down the long hall and back to the tram station. Once safely inside, Diana Droid re-routed the tram and soon the two were on their way back to the Moon Base.


	21. Another Arrest

Act 3/Scene 5: Another Arrest

"Where are you rushing off to Rini?" Teiko asked as the two finished up their cafeteria lunch.

"I'm gonna find Sanae," Rini said.

"About time! I'll come with you!"

"It might be better if I go alone," said Rini. "Sanae and I need to talk alone…about Ryuu and stuff, you know?"

"Alright," said Teiko, her face falling just a bit. "I guess I understand. You only have an hour, though, until they begin to judge the science faire!"

"I know," Rini said, giving her friend a quick hug. "You're the best, Teiko. I'll see ya soon."

"Seriously, Rini, don't be late!"

"I won't!" Rini called over her shoulder as she dashed off.

 _I feel bad about ditching Teiko_ , _but I have to find a way back to the Moon Castle so I can rescue Takeshi and Diana Droid!_

Rini hopped a tram, riding it aimlessly until it was empty, then hurrying over to the control panel. Inside was just a bunch of cords, wires, and buttons, with a tiny screen.

 _I can make sense of any of this!_ _How the hell am I suppose to get back to the Moon Castle?_ Rini rode the tram back to her living pod, hoping to find Ryuu or Sadie. Only her parents were home.

"Dad, have you seen Ryuu?"

"No, I haven't. Rini, your mother isn't feeling well and wants me to stay home with her this evening. Unfortunately I will miss your science faire tonight."

"I understand, Dad," she mumbled.

Rini ducked into her room long enough to shove her wig and gas mask into her backpack before leaving again, taking the tram to the Moon Base's medical compound. Rini knocked on the door to Sadie's small office.

"Hey there, Rini." Sadie greeted her with an easy smile.

"Sadie, have you seen Ryuu or Sanae?"

"I did earlier today," said Sadie, her smile flipping into a frown. "Are you here to tell me what's been going on, Rini?"

"What do you mean?"

"When they came in, Ryuu's hands were covered in strange and mysterious burns, and neither of them would tell me where he had gotten them from."

"Sadie…" Rini began slowly, closing the door to her office. "I think something happened the night of the odyssey."

Sadie's green eyes flashed, but she remained quiet so Rini continued.

"Strange things have been happening since that night. Is it possible that something could have, I don't know-crossed over?"

Sadie shook her head and said-

"An odyssey works as an intense hallucination, but it is nothing more than a dream world. It isn't real."

"But I've heard that odysseys have the power to make people fly and cure illnesses."

"That might be true on Earth, where they have smarter scientists who have better materials to work with. Here on the Moon, the chemicals that I used were basic and barely had any power."

"But that night-it was like Kotori was possessed! And nobody seems to remember anything, so how can you be sure?"

Sadie narrowed her eyes, "How do _you_ even remember anything, Rini?"

"I came in late, and everybody was already affected. How did you even figure out the recipe?"

Sadie said, "I was never Placed elsewhere, but last year during the Moon Festival a man from Earth said I was a smart scientist, and gave me this formula for whenever I wanted to "leave" the Moon. I had to find substitutions for the chemicals we didn't have on the Moon Base. I took a few odysseys alone until I found the right formula, then I showed Ryuu and Takeshi. After they went on one, they decided to share it with everybody!"

 _Knock knock knock!_

The sound cut off Rini's response.

"I'm expecting a patient," Sadie explained, and Rini nodded.

"Come in!" Sadie said, and the door opened. In the doorway stood-

"Masaru!" Rini blurted out. Immediately, her face grew hot. _Oh, no, not him!_

"Hey, Rini," Masaru said. He hardly even looked at her, and his smile was a ghost of his old one. He looked pale and sad, Rini realized.

Masaru said, "I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was interrupting."

"Not at all!" said Sadie. "Rini, you know Masaru, right? I've been working on a tonic to help heal his leg quicker." She smiled and asked him, "Masaru, how have you been feeling?"

"If you mean my leg, then it's been feeling much better." He moved into the office, sitting down heavily next to Rini in the only vacant chair and setting his crutches down next to him. Rini immediately stood.

"I've gotta get going," said Rini, hurrying from the room. She added over her shoulder-"Thanks for all your help, Sadie!"

Rini closed the office door and began to walk back down the hall. Her heart was bearing wildly.

 _I don't think I can handle seeing Massru just yet._

She had made it only a few yards when she happened to glance up-

And she froze. The man walking toward her in the rich velvet cloak was unmistakably Peri.

Rini's heart began to race.

 _What is he doing here?_

Rini stared at the floor, avoiding Peri's gaze and trying to seem inconspicuous. He passed her by with barely a second glance.

 _Where is he going?_

Rini turned to watch him walk back up the way she had just come. Her heart skipped a beat as he stopped in front of Sadie's office. Without knocking, he opened the door and strode inside, not bothering to close the door behind him.

 _oh no._

Rini could hear him clearly as he said, "Sadie, you are under arrest for suspicion of rebellion against the Moon realm."

"Who are you?" Rini heard Sadie demand. Rini dug through her bag and jammed the blonde wig onto her head.

"I'm not going anywhere with you!" Sadie was saying, and Masaru shouted-

"Leave her alone!"

Rini felt, even from outside, the heat of the flames that Peri wielded. She covered her face with her gas mas and ran inside-but it was too late. Sadie and Peri were gone, and the room was filled with black smoke. Masaru was on one knee, hacking as the smoke filled his nose and mouth.

Rini ran to help Masaru, putting an arm underneath his and helping him to stand. When he tried to push her off, she said-

"I'm getting you out of here!" She strained with his weight. Together, they made it out of the smoke-filled office.

Once outside, Ryuu leaned against the wall of the hallway for support, sliding down until he was sitting on the ground, the force of his coughing overtaking him.

"Are you alright?" Rini asked Ryuu. Around them, other doctors and scientists peeking out of their offices, a few venturing out into the halls, curious about the commotion.

"Who- _cough cough_ -are you?" Ryuu asked.

"I'm the Guardian of the Moon," said Rini, eying the small crowd that was forming. "I protect this Moon Base!"

"They took Sadie!" said Ryuu, grabbing Rini's hand. "Some…some _thing_ took her!"

"Don't worry, I'm going to save her!" said Rini, the racing beat of her heart increasing at his touch. The assembling crowd was beginning to mutter to each other.

"Make sure he's okay!" Rini yelled at a nearby doctor, who was watching her with wide eyes. She gave Ryuu's hand a squeeze before letting go and dashing down the hall.


	22. The Plan

Act 3/Scene 6: The Plan

Living pod #85.

Sanae was sitting on top of Ryuu on the couch in her small, empty living pod. They were kissing, and every time he slipped his tongue into her mouth, she pressed her hips against him. Ryuu let out a low groan that turned into a hiss of pain as his hands instinctively moved to touch her, to pull her closer.

"No touching!" Sanae chided. She gently grasped his wrists and lowered his hands, which were thickly bandaged in medical gauze.

"I keep forgetting," he mumbled, going in for another kiss.

"Is that salve helping?" Sanae asked, kissing him between words.

"Mmmhmm. It's torture not being able to put my hands on you, though."

"Just relax," Sanae whispered, her green eyes so close to his. "Let me do all the work, okay?"

 _Knock knock knock._

"Damn!" said Ryuu. "Who the hell is that."

"I'm not expecting anybody," said Sanae, now planting kisses along Ryuu's neck. She whispered in his ear, "Let's just ignore them."

 _Knock knock knock! Knock knock!_

A muffled demand came with the knocking this time.

"I don't think they're going away," said Ryuu. Sanae scowled, swinging off of his lap, and stomped across the living room so she could turn on her front door monitor. A male figure stood at her door, dressed in a flowing Venusian robe that covered his face. Sanae pressed the intercom.

"My parents aren't here," she snapped. "Go away."

"Sanae, open the door, it's me!" said the man, pulling the material away from his face just enough so Sanae could recognize him. With a gasp, she pressed the button for the automatic door.

 _Whisssk!_

Sanae grabbed the man and yanked him inside.

Ryuu had jumped to his feet. "Who are you?" he demanded.

The aluminum door whisked shut, and the man removed the material that obscured his face.

"Takeshi!" said Ryuu.

Sanae wrapped Takeshi in a huge hug.

"You're back!" she said.

 _Ping ping ping!_

The air rippled as Diana Droid deactivated it's cloaking mechanism and began buzzing around the room.

"D.D. too!" said Sanae. "Are you guys alright? How did you escape?"

"We're fine," said Takeshi. "Peri took me to the dungeon below the Moon Castle, but D.D. managed to help me break out."

"What's with the clothes?" asked Ryuu.

"I, er, 'borrowed' them from some guy who boarded the tram," said Takeshi, looking guilty. "There are cameras everywhere, and I didn't want anybody to be able to track me back here once they discover that I managed to escape."

"Good thinking," said Ryuu with a nod.

"I can't stay here long, though," said Takeshi. "Peri is coming after you, Ryuu, and Sadie, too!. They think she's the Guardian of the Moon! We have to warn her!"

 _Knock knock knock!_

The trio froze.

"Are you sure nobody followed you back here?" asked Ryuu in a hushed tone.

"I don't think so," said Takeshi.

"You don't sound too sure!"

"Guys, be quiet!" said Sanae as the urgent knocking continued. This time when she flicked on the monitor, a pink-haired girl stood at the door.

"It's Rini," Sanae breathed, clicking the button once again to open the automatic door.

Rini rushed inside.

"Sanae! They took Sadie!" she blurted. The door closed, and Rini noticed the others in the room

"Takeshi, D.D.!" she gasped, "How-?"

"That's not important right now!" said Ryuu. "What happened to Sadie!"

"Peri took her, right out of her office and in front of everyone! I was too late to help!" Tears were welling up in Rini's large ruby eyes.

"Great," Sanae said, crossing her arms, "so we've basically exchanged one prisoner for another."

"It isn't Rini's fault," Takeshi cut in protectively. "Peri has powerful magic."

"But according to D.D., so does Rini!" Sanae said. "She should be able to stop him!"

"Even if I do, Sanae, I don't know how to summon it!" she looked around the room, at all the people surrounding her. She said with determination, "I will find a way to stop Peri, before he takes anyone else!"

"We'll find a way," said Ryuu. "All of us, together."

Takeshi said, "I think I have a way." From under his robes, Takeshi pulled out a glimmering, lamp-like object.

"What is it?" asked Rini, as everyone stepped closer to view it.

Diana Droid said, "This is the vessel that the princess of the Moon Castle, Poudretteite, used to summon Peri! If she called him forth from it, we should be able to use it to trap him and make him go away!"

"If this lamp-thing is so powerful, then we should use it!" Sanae insisted. "Right now! Summon him back!"

"We tried," said Takeshi. "It didn't work. I think we have to be in a close vicinity with him in order to seal him away."

"So you're saying we have to find him first!" said Rini.

"If he already captured Sadie, then he'll be looking for me next," said Ryuu. "That means Peri will probably be back on the Moon Base at any time. We should wait until he comes after me, then seal him up."

"No!" said Rini and Sanae together. The girls looked at each other, and Rini said, "Peri is powerful, and if he somehow manages to capture you, too, I would never forgive myself."

"And you're injured!" said Sanae. "You wouldn't be able to defend yourself!"

Takeshi said, "I'll be the bait, then. Once he sees me, he'll be confused and probably come after me."

"That's a terrible plan, too," said Rini. "I just got you back, and I refuse to put anybody else at risk! All three of you are staying here, and D.D. and I will find Peri." Rini was already securing her blonde wig, and Diana Droid hovered over to float just above her shoulder.

"There's no way you're facing that thing alone!" said Takeshi.

"D.D. is powerful, I have the lamp, and I'll be careful."

"We can't even be sure that the lamp works!" said Takeshi.

"Takeshi's right," Sanae said. "You might need some human backup with this one."

"This is my fight, isn't it?" said Rini. "That means I get to call the shots!"

"Takeshi and Ryuu have to stay, I agree with that," said Sanae, "but I'm not on Peri's list, Rini! You're my best friend, and I'm coming with you whether you like it or not!" Sanae dashed into her room, returning with the blue wig from the night of the odyssey, which she jammed on over her springy lavender curls.

"We can't just wait here!" Ryuu said as Sanae went to stand next to Diana Droid and Rini.

Rini said, "You and Takeshi are both wanted rebels! You two would cause more harm than good, and you know it. Sanae, D.D., and I will handle this."

Sanae gave Rini a wink and said, "You guys hang tight until we get back!"

"And if you don't?"

"We will," said Sanae. "Have a little faith in us!"

"But just to be sure…" Rini raised her hand to where Diana Droid hovered above her head.

"Diana Droid! Cosmic shield!"

Diana Droid obeyed, and the iridescent shield glimmered into place, splitting the room in two. Rini, Diana Droid, and Sanae were on the side with the door, while Ryuu and Takeshi were trapped within the room.

"You can't be serious!" Takeshi growled, slamming both fists into the unyielding shield. "Rini…!"

But the girls had already left, the aluminum door whisking back down into place and the automatic lock clicking as the door auto-secured behind them.


	23. Suspects

Act 3/Scene 7: Suspects

The golden skinned man held Sadie's arms behind her back as flames and smoke swirled all around her. The flames did not burn her, but she could feel their heat, and she screamed because she did not know where she was being taken.

Her office and patient, Masaru, disappeared from view, and a new room materialized around her. The walls were the same off-white as the hallways throughout the Moon Base, the floor was grey concrete, and the room was completely empty except for a table and two chairs.

The man let go, and Sadie rushed to the other side of the room, putting the table between them. Her lips curled back and her fingers arched, ready to bite and claw if he tried to grab her again. Instead, he simply gave her a dark little smile before disappearing from the room in flame and smoke, just as they had come in.

Sadie ran to the only door in the room.

 _Bang bang_! She slammed her fists against it.

"Somebody!" she shouted. "Let me out of here!"

The door opened, and Sadie stepped back as a different man entered. Sadie recognized his uniform.

"The police!" she said. "You're behind this!"

"Please calm down," said the man.

"Calm down! What exactly was that thing that brought me here!"

"Peri is considered special forces."

"Special forces! Are you serious!"

"Please, Sadie, have a seat."

"That thing ripped me out of my office and teleported me here in a firestorm! I can't believe the police have something that powerful living on this Moon Base."

"He is…under control."

"I haven't even done anything!"

The man took a deep breath.

"My name," he said., "is Anzen, and I'm the chief of police here on this base. Now please, take a seat."

Sadie crossed her arms. "Not until you tell me what I'm doing here."

"Two nights ago, our Lunar Alpha shield was breached. This powerful shield is all that stands between our Moon civilization and the universe beyond."

"You're still not saying what this has to do with me."

"It's a matter that concerns everybody. I've been investigating to find what sort of magic was used to breach the shield. All signs and interviews point to an illegal odyssey that happened the night of the breach."

Sadie said, "But an odyssey is just a hallucination-it could never produce that sort of power!"

"If that is what you believe, than you know very little," Anzen said gravely. "An odyssey, you see, isn't just a visualization. It is a doorway into outer space. Peeking out that doorway, dancing into some empty section of the universe, can be very thrilling. But if you happen to open the door and something is on the other side…the universe is at war against a force that threatens all life! There are very real, very evil things lurking just beyond our shield. We think one has managed to get inside."

Sadie's mouth had dried up, and she finally took a seat in the chair across from Anzen.

"You're just trying to scare me," she said, her voice wavering.

"Please, Sadie, I just need to hear what you know about the odyssey."

"I don't know anything."

"We have video evidence of you working on multiple chemical projects."

"I'm a medical assistant, I'm always working on something."

"These projects were outside of work."

Sadie opened her mouth and shut it again. Her excuses sounded like lies even to herself.

Anzen said, "Somebody came forward and insisted that you had bribed them into stealing chemicals from the school laboratories."

"Donovich," Sadie ground out, her face flushing.

"So you admit it," said Anzen.

Sadie said nothing.

Anzen easily continued, "How did you manage to formulate an odyssey?"

Silence-then, "It was just a lucky concoction."

"Nonsense," said Anzen, shaking his head dismissively. "Who gave you a formula?"

Sadie picked at a hangnail on her thumb. Anzen tried again-

"Who is the Guardian of the Moon? Are you her?"

"Guardian of the Moon? Now I really don't have any idea what you are talking about."

"I don't believe you, Kotori. I think you know a whole lot more than you are saying, and you're not to leaving this cell until we get some answers."

Just then, the door opened.

...

A muscular blonde man entered the room.

"Kai," Anzen bristled. "I have the room."

"Let her go, Anzen," Kai said. "She isn't the one."

"How can you be so sure?"

Kai handed Anzen the touch-screen computer monitor, which was running a video of Sadie with a clear time and date on the lower half of the screen.

Kai said, "We have footage of her working in the medical unit at the time of the Moon Castle breach. She isn't this Guardian of the Moon."

"So she isn't," agreed Anzen, turning back to Sadie. "But you are the one behind the odyssey in the first place."

"Impossible," laughed Kai. "No mere Moon Base scientist could concoct such a spell! On Earth it is preformed by top scientists and shamans."

"Outside," Anzen said through gritted teeth, and Kai followed him to the hallway outside of the interrogation room. They began to walk in the direction of the elevators.

Anzen said, "We have reason to believe she received odyssey's formula from somebody else. We must find out who-it could lead us to a rebel, and perhaps this Guardian of the Moon!"

Kai shook his head.

 _Ting!_ The elevator arrived. The men stepped inside.

"Anzen, what you are claiming is utterly foolish," said Kai. "You must release her!"

"She stays in Moon Base Force custody, Kai! Sadie is the closest we've gotten to answers so far!"

"You're making a mistake."

"Last time I checked, I was chief of police. The decision is mine."

 _Ting!_ They arrived on the main office floor of the Base Force Police.

Kai shook his head again, stepping from the elevator and heading down the hallway. He called out over his shoulder, "You're wasting your time, Chief Anzen."

Scowling, Anzen headed in the opposite direction, entering his office and slamming the door. He flicked on the lights, sat down at his desk and began to pour over his reports.

"Nothing, nothing, nothing," he grumbled to himself. He flicked on his computer and accessed the live video feeds streaming from all over the Moon Base. Empty hallways. Empty tram tunnels. Nearly empty cafeteria. The next screen showed a roomful of people.

"Everybody's at the Moon Festival right now," he mumbled, squinting at the screen as he continued to look through various camera angles. In the open foyer, the judging for the science faire was taking place. In the inner room of the arena, a vicious fight was happening in the ring.

Anzen stopped scrolling to watch Kotori fight in the ring. She dodged and kicked, knocking her larger opponent back.

"She's good…" Anzen said, his eyebrows rising. "Very good…and blonde…"

 _Click click click!_

Anzen condensed the live feed to half of the screen, placing a video call on the other half.

 _Buzzz. Buzzz._

It was only a moment before Poudrietteite picked up, her heavily-lashed blue eyes blinking at the chief.

"Is our suspect the Guardian of the Moon?" she said by way of greeting.

"No," Anzen shook his head, "Sadie has an alibi, but take a look at this!" He linked the two screens, so that Poudrietteite could see the same feed as he was watching.

"The final match," said Poudretteite. "And?"

"Watch how Kotori fights! She's uncanny!"

"Of course-she's Kai's daughter. She's been specially trained."

"Yes, Kotori is an elite fighter. A blonde elite fighter."

"Anzen," Poudretteite said his name softly-a warning. "What exactly are you implying?"

"I believe Kotori is our mysterious Guardian of the Moon."

"Kai is loyal to me and my family," said Poudretteite, shaking her head. "He would never allow his daughter to become a dissident of our kingdom!"

"Think about it!" said Anzen. "It explains how he was so confident Sadie wasn't the one! He's protecting his own daughter!"

"I'm confident he wouldn't work against me," said Poudretteite.

"Then perhaps Kai himself does not know," offered Anzen. "Kai left her alone on the Moon Base to train when she was very young. Perhaps becoming the Guardian of the Moon is how she is rebelling."

Poudretteite was quiet, considering. Back on the screen, Kotori delivered another fierce kick to her opponent.

"Look at her front kick!" said Anzen. "That's the same style kick we recorded the Guardian of the Moon using on the guards at the Moon Castle!"

Poudretteite pursed her plump red lips, then waved a hand, her nails sparkling.

"Very well, Anzen, I'll have Peri take care of it!"

"Not Peri! We are doing this my way-"

"If Kotori truly is the Guardian of the Moon, as you are so eager to claim, that she will have access to vast powers beyond your ability to control. For everybody's safety, I'll need to send Peri."


	24. Showdown

**my final scene for Act 3! Ive edited the whole act, especially scene 4, Escape, which was missing a huge chunk at the end...anyways, enjoy, and have a happy new year!**

Act 3/Scene 8: Showdown

The entrance to the Moon Festival loomed ahead of Rini, the arena's open doors bordered with festive banners: rosy for Earth, golden for Venus, blood red for Mars, and silver for the Moon. Rini stopped before she walked over the threshold, and Sanae, who walked on her right, halted as well. The surrounded throng of base residents and interplanetary travelers continued moving around them, flowing in and out of the festival.

"Ryuu is suppose to be here," Sanae said, "so I'm positive Peri will be somewhere around here, too, looking for him!"

Rini said, "When we see him, we'll be ready for him." She secured her wig and patted her purse, which contained her pink gas mask and the golden creamer-lamp. Diana Droid hovered above the girls, and nobody noticed the strange waves of displaced air that indicated the cloaked droid.

The girls moved into the arena, the tight flow of people now spreading to mingle throughout the foyer. Moon Base students had dotted the open area with their projects, inventions, and research reports, each trying to attract the attention of high-ranking ambassadors from the Sister Planets.

Currently, most people were flowing past the scientific and mechanic competitions and into the arena's inner sanctum, where the final fighting competition was taking place. The stadium was packed and vibrating with energy as the crowd roared, cheering on their favorite fighters. Sanae and Rini found a vantage point along the arena's second level where they could watch the crowd move into the stadium.

"There he is!" Sanae gripped Rini's shoulder, pointing to the arena's entrance where the midnight-haired Peri moved through the crowd. He stuck out in his rich purple cape, which looked nothing like the fashion of Earth or Venus. Rini narrowed her eyes, focusing on the tall figure. Her nerves began to sing, warning her of danger.

"Let's go," she said, forcing her feet forward even though they seemed to want to run in the opposite direction. They rushed down the stairs and back onto the foyer's main floor.

"Rini!" yelled a voice, "Sanae! Hey!"

Teiko ran up to the girls, her wide smile crinkling her freckly face.

"What's with the wigs? I barely recognized you two!"

"It's nothing, just a style," said Sanae casually. Rini was keeping her eyes on Peri, who was swiftly moving toward the entrance to the inner sanctum.

"Whatever, you weirdos," laughed Teiko. "I'm just happy to see you two talking again!"

Teiko hugged her friends, and Rini and Sanae exchanged a look behind the brunette's back

"Now, c'mon, we hardly have any spare time!" Teiko said, stopping the hug to grab Rini's wrists. "They're announcing the winners of the science faire right now, I really thought you were going to miss it, Rini!"

"I…" Rini faltered, Teiko's doe eyes focused on her. Sanae jabbed Rini hard, jerking her chin toward the inner sanctum, where Peri had just slipped in through the entrance.

"I can't make it," Rini babbled. "We have to go-it's important!"

Confusion clouded Teiko's face. "What's more important than our project?"

"We have to catch this fight, Teik!" said Sanae, merging into the moving stream of people and dragging Rini along with her.

Rini saw Teiko's eyebrows shoot up. "Seriously? Rini, wait-!" but the noise of the crowd drowned Teiko's words, and as the people swirled around the girls, Teiko was lost from sight.

"Sorry, Teiko," Rini muttered, following Sanae's blue wig as the taller girl swiftly navigated through the crowd.

The entered the arena, and the sound from the crowd became deafening. Rini danced on her tiptoes, straining to look above the many people ahead of her, but it was hopeless.

"Do you see him?" Rini shouted the question at Sanae, who was easily peering over the crowd. Sanae shook her head.

All around Rini, people were moving, pushing, shoving their way through the dense mass. Rini grabbed Sanae's hand. It was all the girls could do to keep from getting separated. The crowd roared, and the girls wound their way through a sea of bodies. Another minute of maneuvering, and they were met by a solid wall of people.

"It's impossible to get closer!" Sanae said. "Nobody is moving!"

"Give me a boost!" Rini said.

"Seriously?" Sanae grumbled even as she allowed Rini to scramble up her back.

The girls were far away from the central arena, but Rini could still make out Kotori's aggressive stance in the center of the ring. She was fighting a male, who made a swift grab for her only to be met by a punch in the face. Rini recoiled along with the rest of the crowd.

"She really nailed him!" Rini exclaimed.

"Stay focused!" Sanae yelled back. "Find Peri! You're not the lightest thing, ya know!"

"I'm looking-but there are so many people!"

"Just hurry it up!"

In the fighting ring, Kotori dodged another take-down attempt and doled out the finishing blow. The crowd went wild and a buzzer blasted throughout the room, signaling the end of the fight. A referee's voice followed the buzzer, announcing officially-

"The winner! And overall best fighter and champion of the Moon Festival: Kotori of the Moon Base!"

Half of the crowd clapped and cheered, while the other half shook their heads in disbelief. The solid wall of people shifted and broke as they began to head toward the exits and clear out of the arena. Rini's eyes locked onto the rich purple cloak she had been scanning for.

"There he is!" she said, hopping off of Sanae's back. "He's headed straight for the fighting ring." The friends began to weave their way against the stream of people. Rini was pushed and shoved this way and that as the mass of bodies poured out of the exits.

"Rini!" Sanae was getting caught in the opposing flow. Rini grabbed her friend's hand and shoved their way toward the bleachers, where the crowd was much thinner. They climbed on top of the elevated seats and scanned the rapidly-clearing arena.

They watched as Peri stepped into the fighting ring, where a handful of people stood around Kotori, talking, offering water, and patting her on the back.

"What is he doing?" Sanae asked.

"I'm not sure," Rini said, narrowing her eyes, focusing on the center of the ring where a muscular blonde man had just stepped in front of Peri.

"Just what do you think you are doing here?" the man demanded, holding out a hand to halt the advancing djinn.

"We have strong evidence that Kotori is the Guardian of the Moon," Peri said with a smile. "Please step aside, Kai, she will be apprehended."

Rini and Sanae exchanged glances.

"On who's orders?" Kai asked.

"Poudrietteite, of course. Her wishes are my commands. I'll be taking her now." Peri took a step forward, but Kai pushed him back.

"You'll do no such thing!" Kai said. "She is not the Guardian of the Moon!" The surrounding people stopped what they were doing and turned their attention on the two men.

"Can you be so sure she isn't, Kai?"

"Papa?" Kotori had pushed through her small crowd of fans to stand beside her father. "What's going on?"

"Nothing." Kai put a protective arm between Kotori and Peri. "Peri was just leaving."

"Now, Kai, I must follow orders. Kotori, you're under arrest for suspicion of rebellion against the Moon Princess."

"What!" Kotori said at the same time Kai said, "You will not take her."

"Oh, but I will." Flames burst to life in either of Peri's hands. Several people screamed, and bystanders began to rush from the room.

"Get back!" Kai yelled to his daughter. He reacted quick as lightning, landing a kick square to Peri's chest. The djinn stumbled back, and his black eyes reflected his own flames as they focused on Kai, narrowing.

" _Yaahh!_ " Peri rushed forward, his first two strikes cutting the air as Kai narrowly dodged each one. They passed each other, switching places, and as they faced off again, Peri smiled.

"Right where I want you," he said, and with an easy wave of his hand a wall of flames burst up around Kai, trapping him.

Nobody was paying attention to the two girls on top of the bleachers.

"We need to get down there," said Rini. "Now!" She secured her blonde wig and slipped on the pink gas mask. The blue-haired girl next to her nodded and tied Ryuu's blue bandana over her nose and mouth. They jumped down the bleacher tiers and onto the mostly cleared floor right in front of the ring. Meanwhile, Kotori had rushed Peri.

" _Hyyahhh!"_ Kotori peppered the air around Peri with a flurry of kicks and blows. Peri dodged each one, but Kotori didn't slow down. She threw herself into a round-house kick, and when her blow missed it's mark she completed the circle and transferred the momentum into her fist, finally contacting with Peri's face.

 _WHAP!_ The djinn barely winced before whisking into smoke, reappearing behind Kotori and grappling her arms behind her back.

"You're coming with me!" Peri hissed.

"Stop right there!" Rini's voice echoed throughout the arena. Peri, Kotori, and the few people who had remained in the arena all turned to look as she and Sanae jumped into the fighting ring.

"Let Kotori go! I am the Guardian of the Moon, and it is my duty to protect all of the lives here on the Moon Base!"

"Well, well, well," Peri's surprise grew into a grin. He released Kotori and snapped his fingers, killing the flames that encircled Kai.

"Papa!" Kotori yelled as she rushed over to her father.

"I guess your daughter was innocent, Kai," Peri said, keeping his eyes on Rini.

Kai crouched on the floor, badly singed.

"Guardian of the Moon," Peri continued, his black eyes sweeping Rini from head to toe and back again. "We meet again! I see you failed to follow my advice to burn your disguise."

"You are not welcome on this Moon Base!" Rini declared, pointing at Peri. "Innocent residence are being harmed because of you, and I'm here to punish you!"

Peri said, "By order of Princess Poudrietteite, you're under arrest for trespassing and rebellion!" Flames burst back to life in his right hand, and he hurled a burning stream directly at Rini and Sanae.

Rini yelled, "Diana Droid! Cosmic shield!"

Diana Droid dropped her camouflage, appearing above Rini's right shoulder. The shield glittered into place, and Peri's serpentine flames ricocheted off the smooth surface. Peri put his left hand next to the right, increasing the intensity of his power. Heat seeped in through the shield, and Rini began to sweat.

"The shield is faltering, Rini!" said Diana Droid, her antenna flashing red in warning. "I only have so much available power!"

"What do we do!" Sanae said.

Suddenly the flames stopped, and the three watched as Kotori took down Peri, halting his flow of power. It only lasted a moment, however, before he turned into smoke, the tendrils escaping Kotori's grip.

"Where is he!" Diana Droid asked. The droid was vibrating with the effort of maintaining the shield.

Rini took the moment to shout, "Kotori! Everybody! Get to safety!"

"Behind you!" Sanae yelled, but before Rini could turn, she felt iron-strong hands grip her arms from behind.

"Your under arrest," Peri purred from behind her.

"I don't think so!" Rini shouted, "Hiyyahh!" She flipped Peri over her shoulder and onto the ground. He burst into smoke again and spread out over the fighting ring like a low, thick blanket of fog. Rini and Sanae pressed their backs against each other as the fog began to circle them, rising into a surrounding wall that burst into flame.

"We're trapped!" Sanae said.

"I'm drained!" Diana Droid said, her shield disappearing. The friends were unprotected against the wave of heat that rolled in where the shield had been.

Rini clenched her fists. _It's too hot!_ she thought, sweat dripping from beneath her blonde wig. "D.D! I need you to break a water line again!"

"Got it!"

"D.D., go!" Rini hurled the droid up into the air and over the flaming barrier. Or at least, she tried. With a whoosh the flames pulsed and rose, engulfing Diana Droid.

"No!" Sanae screamed. The droid dropped out of the sky and crashed back down onto the floor of the arena, crispy-fried with it's eye screen buzzing blankly.

"D.D.!" Rini cried. She rushed toward the droid but the flames roared hotter, forcing Rini to cover her face and step back.

Peri appeared in front of Rini, extending a hand, "Come with me, peacefully, if you don't want the same thing to happen to your friend here!"

Rini moved to spread her arms protectively in front of Sanae, but Sanae had stepped up next to Rini, giving her a nod. Both girls rushed toward Peri, but he saw the attack and fell back into his ring of flames with a smile.

The fire grew, the girls screamed at the heat and threw their arms up to protect their heads.

"Rini!" Rini looked and saw that Peri had gotten ahold of Sanae.

"I warned you," he said, and Sanae screamed as she was engulfed in flames.

Rini's heart plummeted, and without thinking she directed everything her had at Peri. "STOP!" she screamed, and an icy pink wave of power emanated from her, the quick pulse of it matching her heartbeat.

 _BUM!_ The chilly blast extinguished Peri's flames. It sparkled away as quickly as it had come, and Sanae used the stunned moment that followed to tear herself away from Peri.

Peri's surprise instantly turned into a feral grin, directed at Rini.

"Is that all?" he said, "Is that the power of the Guardian of the Moon? You're going to need a whole lot more to get rid of me!"

"How about this?" Rini held up the glittering creamer, and Peri's tan face became white as a sheet as she opened the lid.

"Don't!" It was all he had time to say before he was sucked into the creamer's depths.

"AAAHHH!" Rini closed the lid on his echoing scream.

"Sanae!" Rini looked around wildly for her friend. Sanae was crouched a little ways off, and Rini rushed over to her.

"Sanae, are you okay?"

Sanae nodded, standing up as Rini approached. Her face was smeared with ash, her wig was singed, and in her arms she cradled the badly burned, half-deflated Diana Droid.

"D.D.!" Tears pricked Rini's ruby eyes. "C'mon, D.D., say something!" The droid's eye screens just continued to buzzz blankly.

"It'll be alright," Sanae said softly. "I think I can fix 'er up. At least you managed to stop Peri before he harmed anybody else." Rini glared down at the lamp that she held.

"Wish we could have used this sooner," she said, looking around the room. Scorch markers covered the floor of the fighting ring, and there were a few people here and there that looked injured, either from Peri's flames or from their own clumsy attempts to run away from the scene. Kotori had moved Kai further from the fighting room, but they were still in the room, staring at Rini and Sanae and talking to each other.

"We need to get out of here," Rini said, stowing the lamp and heading toward the exit.

"Not that way!" Sanae warned. A police offer, and then another, appeared in the doorway.

"Stop right there!" One yelled.

"Damn!" Rini said. "Not this again!" The girls ran for the cover of the bleachers, Sanae still carrying Diana Droid. They ran the length of the stadium toward the opposite exit, the Base Force Police Officers hot on their tails.

"Rini! Sanae! Over here!" The girls jumped at their own names and turned to see Teiko waving them over, holding lab coats. "Ditch your wigs and put these on!" The friends did, fitting in perfectly with the few remaining students that were there for the science faire. The police officers rushed past.

"Thanks, Teik," said Sanae.

"Teiko, about earlier…" began Rini.

 _WAH WAH! WAH WAH!_ The Moon Base alarm cut Rini off, and a message followed.

 _Attention residents and visitors! There has been an attck on the Moon Base! Please return to the safety of your living pods! Attention residents and visitors-_

The message continued to repeat itself.

"We can't talk here!" Teiko shouted over the alarm. "The base is going into lock-down!" Students began hurrying toward the trams, and the three friends followed. Base Force Police officers stood in the halls and by the trams, holding weapons and directing the growing crowds.

"Keep moving!" The officers were peering closely at each resident, and Rini kept her eyes down as she passed by.

There were police officers in the trams as well, and the ride was tense and quiet.

LIVING PODS, SECTION C flashed on the destination board.

"This is my stop," mumbled Teiko, standing up.

"Teiko-" Rini began.

"Come by tomorrow, if you can," Teiko said, "we'll talk then."

The tram slowed, then stopped. _Ding!_

"The science faire, Teik-how'd we do?"

The doors opened.

"We lost, Rini," said Teiko. "It was my fault. I screwed up the presentation."

"Keep moving!" ordered the on board police officer, and Teiko hurried off the tram before Rini could reply. The doors whisked shut and the tram continued moving.

 **the ending needs work, i know :P ...anybody excited for act 4?**


	25. Cin

Arc 1: Moon

Act 4: Moon Ball

Scene 1: Cin

Anzen, Poudrietteite, and Kai were all in Poudrietteite's penthouse at the top of the Moon Castle. They stood next to a wall, where a giant painting of a bowl of pink flowers had been raised into the ceiling, revealing rows of monitors that played the current surveillance feeds from both the Moon Base and the Moon Castle.

Anzen said, "We are sending Base Force Police Officers to every living pod on the Moon Base, questioning everybody and looking for clues."

"And?"

"And so far-nothing. Nobody has any solid information about the Guardian of the Moon or what she did with Peri!"

"She is a mysterious rebel who now has a powerful weapon in her hands! You must find them immediately!"

"We are doing everything we can, Princess."

"If you were, I would have her in custody right now!" Poudrietteite stomped her glittering pink heel. "Your position as chief is on the line, Anzen. Do not return without answers!"

"Yes, Princess," Anzen saluted and exited the room.

Kai said, "Your misuse of the djinn Peri nearly burned down your arena and seriously compromised the security of my daughter. Your family will be most displeased with my report once I return to Earth, Princess Poudrietteite."

Poudrietteite squeeze her pink-gloved fist, but kept her focus on the monitors.

Kai continued, "Listening to Chief Anzen was your biggest mistake. I highly recommend his immediate termination."

"I have kept peace on this Moon for 15 years, Kai!" said Poudrietteite. "We are experiencing a minor setback because of an unknown rebel. My family would handle this situation the exact same way!"

"There is more than one unknown rebel, Poudrietteite," Kai pointed out. "Your prisoner Takeshi managed to escape. And with losing control of Peri, the Alpha Lunar shield's strength is reduced by a third. The security of your entire Moon has been highly compromised."

"Which is why I have the Base Force Police working around the clock."

Kai took a moment to study the Poudrietteite, from her shimmering heels to her flushed cheeks. "Your attempted arrest of my daughter has left me in serious doubt of your grip on this whole situation."

"Everybody was a suspect, Kai, and most still are. For all you know about your daughter, she could have very well been the Guardian."

Kai straightened. "I need a day to complete my report, and then I'll be heading back toward Earth, and I'll be taking my daughter with me."

"Her training has not been completed here."

"Oh, I say it has."

Poudrietteite pursed her lips, turning her full attention to Kai. Her blue eyes met his, powder and midnight.

"I have a plan, Kai," she said with a huff. "If my police can't find answers, then I'll be extending invitations to the Moon Ball ceremony to all students who partook in the science faire."

"And what good will that do?"

"We know the Guardian is a student. She disappeared at the science faire, and only students exited from there."

"It seems very stupid to knowingly invite a rebel to your Moon Castle."

"Before last night, the last time the Guardian showed her face, she and her friends had broken into the Moon Castle. They are looking for something here! If I invite them to the Moon Ball ceremony, I know they'll show themselves."

"And what then? Why set yourself up for another humiliating defeat?"

"I will not be defeated, Kai," she said as she crossed the room to the golden tea service. It was incomplete without the creamer. She selected sugar pot, which had a round ball belly and a long, thick neck decorated with colorful gemstones.

"I'll set a trap for them, using Cin!" she said, daintily lifting the lid off of the sugar pot's long neck. A stream of pale blue mist wound out of the pot, curling around Poudrietteite and Anzen before swirling between them and becoming corporeal. A woman appeared before them, as tall as Anzen, her generous curves displayed with a two piece made of golden coins each dotted with a sparkling sky blue gem. She had sheer blue pants and curling golden shoes. Her blue eyes were pale and piercing against her bronze skin, and her jet-black ponytail floated weightlessly in the air behind her.

"I am Cin!" said the djinn, bowing and smiling with her pillowy pink lips. "Your wish is my command."

Kai chuckled mirthlessly. "So you plan on using another djinn so quickly! Your tactics are pathetic. Cancel the final ceremony, keep the Base on lockdown, and wait for me to return to Earth so that your family can send aid."

Poudrietteite narrowed her eyes at Kai. "I do not need aid, Kai. I need time. Give me a day or so to pull this off. This Guardian has barely scratched the surface of the power I have. She will be no match for Cin."

"She has Peri."

"She is only a student! She has no idea what she has or how to use it."

Kai said, "Fine. Prove me wrong, Poudrietteite. I'll give you two more days before I complete my report, and then I'm heading back to Earth."


	26. Trap

Act 4/Scene 2: Trap

 _Attention Moon Base residents! The order to remain inside has been lifted! The threat has been identified and stopped. Please continue about as normal!_

 _Liars,_ Rini thought when the announcement blared throughout the Moon Base by mid-morning. The doors to the living pods unlocked, and people began to venture out into the base. Some went to work, but school and most of the other activities had been cancelled for the day.

The first thing Rini did was head to Teiko's. Her friend's door whisked opened with Rini's first knock.

"About time!" said Teiko, pulling Rini inside. "We've been waiting for you!" She was wearing a white tank top and cozy green lounge pants.

"Everybody's here!" Rini said as she walked into the spacious living room. Ryuu and Takeshi were in the middle of a discussion, but stopped as soon as Rini entered, and Sanae waved from her seat at the dining room table, where she was working on the fried Diana Droid. Greasy tools and pieces of machinery were spread out everywhere on the table.

Teiko said, "Sanae sent Ryuu and Takeshi over last night. She just came over this morning, a few minutes before you did."

"I figured the home of the chief-of-police would be the last place you two would want to be!" Rini said to the boys.

Sanae said, "This is the only place that the police aren't going to search. Once I realized the police were going door-to-door last night, I had Ryuu and Takeshi sneak over here." Takeshi was still dressed in his Venusian disguise.

"Mom and Dad have been gone all night, and will be all day," said Teiko. "There isn't a better place to hide."

Ryuu said, "We were worried about you, Rini. Did the police question you?"

"They questioned everybody," said Rini, moving into the room and flopping down on Teiko's couch. "But they hardly stayed more than five minutes. I guess mom and dad thought I had been in my room all night, so I had an alibi."

"Of course they did," said Ryuu, rolling his eyes slightly.

"How's D.D.?" asked Rini.

"Almost completely devastated," Sanae said. "I spent all night repairing her mainframe, now I just have to fix everything else! The mechanics are highly sophisticated, so it might take me a few more days…"

"What is a D.D.?" asked Teiko, going over to the dining room table to observe Sanae.

"Diana Droid," explained Rini. "It found me a few days ago, saying it had come from Earth, and that the Moon Base was in danger and I was supposed to stop it because I'm…I don't know, a star warrior or something."

"Star warrior?" said Teiko, raising an eyebrow over her shoulder at Rini.

"Sailor senshi," corrected Sanae. "And she really is, Teiko, even if she doesn't believe it. Rini, you used your power to extinguish Peri's flames last night."

"If I did, I don't have any idea how," said Rini.

Sanae said, "It was Cosmic Power. Diana Droid told me all about it. She said you could wield it, Rini, and you did!"

"Yeah, but it only happened to stop you from being burned to bits, Sanae! If that's what it takes for me to summon my power, than I'd rather have nothing to do with it." Tears were swimming in Rini's ruby eyes as she remembered the fear she felt in that moment, watching her friend burst into flames. Sanae stopped what she was doing, about to snap something at Rini but when she saw the tears she instead went over to the couch and gave Rini a hug.

"I will never let anything like that happen again," Rini said quietly, adding a little louder, "to _any_ of you. I didn't want any of this to happen. I'll protect all of you, somehow, I promise!"

"We're all in this together now, Rini," said Takeshi. "We're all going to protect each other."

"We're stronger together," said Ryuu. Everybody was looking at her, smiling, and Rini couldn't help but smile back.

 _Ting!_ Teiko received a message on her computer.

"Rini, look at this!" Teiko waved her over, and Rini and Sanae walked over, peering at the computer monitor over Teiko's shoulder.

"An invitation to the Moon Ball Ceremony?" said Rini, looking over the message. "But…only the students who win first place in their categories are invited to the Ball! I thought you said we lost?"

"We did!" said Teiko. "It looks like this is the first year that they are inviting every science faire participant!" Teiko read out loud-"As science is such an important part of our Moon's community, the annual Moon Ball will not only be held to honor the top fighters and minds of the Moon Base, but will extend this year to honor every science faire participant! We want to encourage your scientific minds and reward your hard work. Please join us." Teiko and Rini exchanged surprised looks.

"It sounds suspicious," said Takeshi, and Ryuu nodded in agreement.

"The Ball is held in the Moon Castle, and our superiors would never just invite a bunch of students to come party in their secret base!" Ryuu said. "They must be figuring out who you are, Rini."

"I agree," said Sanae. "They're on to us. We left with all the science faire nerds last night."

"Hey!" said Teiko, but Rini nodded as well.

"It's true," Rini said, "they must be narrowing it down. It definitely sounds like a trap!"

"So we won't go," said Teiko.

Sanae shook her head. She said, "The thing is…we need to get back to the Moon Castle! D.D. sent Ryuu and I on a mission there to find a ancient computer mainframe called Eternity Main. D.D. said it would bring Cosmic Power back to the Moon Base and help Rini save everybody!"

"They know that the Moon Ball is the perfect opportunity to make it back to the Moon Castle and find this Eternity Main," Rini said.

"And even if you didn't go, that would potentially be even more suspicious!" said Sanae. "Who would miss such a rare opportunity?"

"So basically, we can't not go!" said Teiko.

Takeshi said, "Rini, do you still have Peri's lamp?"

"I do," said Rini. She took off her backpack and knelt down next to it, procuring the lamp carefully with both hands.

"You've been carrying that thing around?!" Sanae said, backing up and ducking behind the couch like Rini had a bomb.

"I have no idea what to do with it! There was no way I was just going to leave it somewhere, unguarded."

"I think you should open it," said Takeshi.

"What?!" Sanae shrieked at the same time as Rini said, "No way!"

"Think about how powerful Peri was!" Takeshi said. "Now that we have the lamp, we should be able to wield that power! That would make strolling into the Moon Castle no problem!"

"I think Takeshi is right," Ryuu said. "If Peri tries to harm us, we can just summon him back into the lamp."

The image of Sanae catching on fire so easily was still too fresh in her brain. Rini said, "There is no way I'd risk that right now! I just promised to do everything I could to protect you guys. No way am I going to summon Peri right in the middle of Teiko's living pod!"

"Then we'll wait," said Teiko. "We'll go to the Moon Ball, we'll try to find this Eternity Mainframe, and if we run into trouble we'll summon Peri!"

"There is no 'if'," said Takeshi. "You _will_ run into trouble, because it's a trap. And what then? Are you two are just going to cross your fingers and hope Peri'll fight with you instead of the enemy?"

Rini pursed her lips. "Pretty much sounds like our plan," she admitted.

"No way," Takeshi shook his head. "D.D.'s not able to shield us in this time, Rini. No way am I letting you follow through with that risky plan."

"It's the only move we have, Takeshi!" snapped Rini. "You have no say! You're an escaped prisoner. You can't leave this living pod without a huge risk, and you know it."

Takeshi opened his mouth to respond, but Ryuu stepped between them. "Everybody just calm down. Takeshi, Rini is right. We can't even walk these halls right now without risking everything! Only Rini and Teiko can show up to the Moon Ball without rousing suspicious."

"But," said Sanae, "that doesn't mean we can't help! The Ball isn't until tomorrow, which will be plenty of time for us to prepare."

"We need intel," said Ryuu, "as much as we can gather." Teiko motioned for Ryuu to join her by the computer.

"I have my dad's passwords," she said. "You can use his account to check out the blueprints for the Moon Castle!"

"That's perfect!" said Ryuu. "I can find the likely spot for Eternity Main, so you two won't be going in blind like we did before."

"And we'll need some way to communicate with you guys between bases," Rini said.

"And we'll need gowns!" said Teiko, her eyes widening as she looked at Rini. "And dates!"

Rini groaned, and Sanae said, "She's right! You two can't just show up together."

"I can't listen to anymore of this!" grumbled Takeshi, leaving the living room and heading into the kitchen.

"C'mon," said Sanae, grabbing Teiko and Rini by the hands. "Let's get you two ready! The boys can stay hidden here and figure out the tactical moves."

 _Find a date_ , groaned Rini. _Great._ Right now that seemed even more impossible than the mission that lay ahead.


	27. Orders

Act 4/Scene 3: Orders

Kotori was inside of her living pod, staring at the beautifully wrapped present on the table. It was a large rectangle, wrapped in glittering gold paper and tied with a yellow satin bow.

"It's from mother and I," Kai told his daughter. "Go on."

Kotori cautiously pulled the bow, the silken material easily coming undone and falling from the box. She ripped the paper, causing a cascade of glitter to sparkle to the floor and revealing the white shiny box beneath. When she lifted the lid, she gasped.

"It's gorgeous," Kotori said, pulling the shimmering gown from the box. It was the same amber color as her eyes and made of the most delicate material she had ever seen.

"It's a Misha gown," Kai said. "Do you know who that is?"

"Of course, Misha is the most talented dressmaker on Earth," said Kotori, admiring the flawless piece.

"And the youngest fashion designer to have ever graduated from Earth's most prominent creative university. Her gowns are a status symbol. Your mother and I figure it is high time for you to leave this dowdy Moon Base and come join us in our penthouse on Earth."

"I haven't been Placed yet."

"No, not officially, but you are the champion of the Moon Festival, Kotori. Soon, the planetary representatives of Earth, Mars, and Venus will be falling all over each other to get you to join their forces. When they do, you will choose to come further your training on Earth."

Kotori looked from the gown to her father. She said, "So the Misha gown is a bribe?"

Kai smiled, a bit coldly. "The gown is only a small symbol of the luxury that awaits your new life on Earth. You deserve it, daughter, after living in the squalor of the Moon Base for so long."

"It's not so bad here," Kotori said. "The instructors have taken me in and trained me well."

"The instructors here are northing compared to Effie and the other elite on Earth."

"You left me on the Moon Base, all alone, when I was just a small child. They taught me everything here. They made me who I am." Kotori had put the gown back in it's box and stared at Kai with her arms crossed.

"You flourished against all odds," said Kai. "That is the sign of a true warrior. This Moon is a bit desolate, but there are truly worse places we could have left you, Kotori."

"Why leave me anywhere? If Earth is so great, why not raise me there?"

"Earth is at war, full of darkness and chaos. This dingy Moon is a sanctuary of sorts…or was, before the arrival of the Guardian."

"The Guardian stopped that fire demon from attacking us."

"Princess Poudrietteite made a mistake when she sent Peri after you," said Kai. "She is not fit for ruling. Her family crowned her the temporarily leader of an experimental outpost. But do not be fooled, the Guardian is no friend of ours. She is an agent of chaos. Once you come to Earth, you will learn how to identify and stop people like the Guardian."

"There are more people like her?"

"Yes, there are, throughout our entire Solar System. They are the reason we are at war."

Kotori and Kai studied each other for a few minutes in combative silence.

Kai spoke first, "Kotori, do you know the identity of the Guardian of the Moon?"

"I don't."

"Kotori," her name rumbled from Kai like a growl, "She knows who you are. And you have see her fight twice now. Think about her technique. What can you tell me about her?"

Kotori paused, thinking, and then said, "She fights with the technique we use here on the Moon. And she easily hides among the students so she must be around my age."

"Good. Now think about your classmates. Who could she possibly be?"

Kotori shrugged, "I can't be sure."

"Think about it," Kai said. "Watch your classmates carefully. And report to me as soon as you have so much as an inkling. This is the reason you have been training, Kotori, do you understand?"

Kotori shook her head. "I don't. The Guardian doused a room with water and stopped a destructive djinn. She has done more good than harm and I don't see why you want her stopped."

Kai stood, and his midnight eyes were a storm. His voice was deadly calm as he said, "If you cannot stop her, than she _will_ destroy this Moon. And I will leave you here to be destroyed along with it, so that you can witness the consequences of your failure."

Kai crossed the living pod to stand next to the exit. Kotori stood rigid, as though his heartless glare had transformed her into stone.

He said, "Congratulations, Kotori, you've made it to stage two of your training. Wear the gown to the Moon Ball, but don't get sloppy. And bring me the Guardian of the Moon." Kai briskly left the living pod, the door whisking shut behind him.


	28. Lunar Market

Act 4/Scene 4: Lunar Market

The Lunar Market took place in the Moon's large public hanger. Throughout the year, the Market typically opened once a week and sold food, clothes, and basic necessities to the Moon Base civilians. However, because of the influx of interplanetary visitors that the Moon Festival had brought in, the Lunar Market had been open everyday for the past week. It was filled with vendors selling exotic wares, beautiful materials, and delicious foods out of their spaceships, all of which were rare treats for Moon Base residents. The Lunar Market was also filled with people-mostly students who had the day off from school and visitors who lounged about in each others' ships, filling their free time with eating and chatting and shopping.

"Hey, come look at these!" Teiko shouted over the din of the shoppers surrounding them. Rini and Sanae joined their friend at a booth where a tall man with a long, silver beard and pale peach robes stood before a table covered in sparkling baubles.

"Can you imagine wearing those to the Ball?" squealed Teiko, pointing at a pair of silver and emerald earrings.

"Maybe Ryuu will buy me this bracelet!" said Sanae, reaching for a strand of glimmering amethysts a few shades darker than her hair.

"No touching!" the merchant warned, narrowing his eyes at the girls.

"We were only looking," Rini said, but Teiko was already pulling her away toward an adjacent ship selling refreshments.

"This is a favorite sweet on Earth," an elderly woman was explaining her shiny shish kebabs to Teiko. "Each candy sphere has a delicious mystery filling in the center! You won't know until you bite in!"

"Three, please!" Teiko handed money over to the merchant and gave the glistening stacked candy to her friends.

"Thanks, Teik," said Rini, but Teiko was already skipping toward the next ship, which was selling carved lanterns that casted eerie, beautiful shadows when lit.

"She's really excited," said Sanae. "She's hardly even stopping to check out the guys!"

"That's not the _only_ reason we're here," said Rini, sucking a candy off the stick and crunching into the raspberry filling.

"True, but if you two don't find some handsome escort here you'll probably be stuck asking a classmate, like Donovich or Greg." Sanae made a face.

"Donovich won the science faire, maybe I should get him to ask me," said Rini.

"Oh, goddesses, Rini! We can do better than Donovich." Sanae waved to a boy about their age selling wares a few spots away. He was tall and tan, his short, dark blue hair sticking up in spikes around his pilot's goggles. He grinned easily and waved back.

"How about hottie over there?" Sanae nudged Rini.

"I can't just go with a complete stranger," Rini said, chomping another candy ball. Rich buttercream filled her mouth.

"Sure you can!"

Rini rolled her eyes. "That's enough boy-watching for now," she said. "I'm going to look at the gowns." She headed toward a little enclosed shop who's makeshift walls were made out of draped silken scarves. A man in a tailored suit with a satin lapel stepped in front of Rini before she could enter. His long brown hair was tied back with a ribbon.

"Please," he said, his voice soft and polite, "no food inside the shop."

"I'll hold it!" Sanae snatched the kebab from Rini's grasp, giving her friend a huge wink as she said, "Take your time! I'll be by that tent whenever you're done, I need to get some parts to help fix D.D. anyway." She pointed the two candy kebabs at a mechanics vendor across the way.

"My kebab!" Rini protested, but Sanae had already hurried away. The man in front of her now held the scarf door open, ushering Rini inside.

The shop was filled with richly-colored clothing, fine material, and incense that made the air floral and sweet. A lantern's golden glow set every sequin and bead glittering.

"My name is Akio," the man asked, stepping inside as well and lowering the scarf against the busyness outside. "Please allow me to assist you. What are you shopping for today?"

"I'm going to the Moon Ball," Rini said, "so something…"

"Elegant," breathed Akio. "Formal, beautiful, hmm. Arms up!" He whipped out a measuring tape and wrapped it around Rini's bust with expert precision.

"Hey!" she squeaked, placing her hands over her breasts. Akio didn't even pause, though, as he moved on to her waist, nodding at the measurement and turning away from her to thumb through a rack of spectacular gowns of all colors and styles.

"Lilac and silver, perhaps?" He said, holding a tulle gown on a hanger up to Rini's frame.

"It's gorgeous," Rini gasped, but Akio shook his head and whisked the dress away.

"No, no," he said. "That dress won't do. Soft spring green?"

"I love it!" Rini had barely touched the cashmere-like material of the new gown he held up before it was pulled away as well.

"No, you couldn't go in that one. Smokey cinnamon? No, no, no. Champagne and rose? Close! But not quite the one…"

"Rini!" Rini turned to see Teiko, grinning and clutching a package with a green ribbon to her chest. A woman stood next to her, dressed in a tuxedo identical to the one Akio wore, her sandy waves tied back in the same low-ponytail style.

"Teiko! What did you buy?"

"Oh, Rini, Aki here found me the most perfect gown! It took her like 5 minutes and it's the prettiest thing I have ever seen!"

"Let me see!"

"No way!" Teiko giggled. "I'm not going to ruin the surprise! The big reveal will happen tomorrow."

"Fine, you can't see mine until then, either," said Rini, sticking out her tongue playfully.

"I was leaving anyway!" said Teiko. "Where's Sanae?"

"Across the way by the mechanics stuff. I'll join you guys as soon as I'm done."

Teiko waved as she left the makeshift tent. Aki stepped next to Akio, who showed her the measurements he had taken.

"I see," said Aki. She walked over to an opposite rack and produced a frilly-skirted showstopper. "Peaches and cream?" she pondered, holding up the dress to Rini just as Akio had been doing. Aki and Akio both shook their heads.

"Not the one," they said in unison, and the search continued, their speed through a rainbow of colors and textures making Rini dizzy.

"It's not any of them!" said Akio, his soft voice tinged with frustration.

"I liked all of them!" Rini said.

"None of them will do," said Aki.

"Any of them would do!" Rini insisted.

"How could this be?" said Akio. "Unless…" he locked eyes with Aki.

"Could it be?" Aki asked.

"It must be!" Akio said.

"What?" said Rini.

"Allow me!" said Aki, and with a curt bow she darted from the tent. Akio examined his measuring tape again, before finally turning his attention back to Rini. He surveyed her carefully from head to toe.

"What!" Rini said again, self-consciously crossing her arms. Akio just smiled as Aki returned with a dark garment bag on a simple hanger. She hung it on a peg and pulled down the zipper, revealing the gown within.

It was rose petal pink, an elegant velvet leotard with a corset top, the sweetheart neckline embellished by sparkling red rubies. The skirts were sheer and layered, following the V of the leotard and trimmed with thick rows of short pink feathers that curved and rose and cascaded in a train like frothy waves.

Rini wanted to say that it was beautiful, but she couldn't even speak. Aki carefully removed the gown from it's garment protector and held it up to Rini.

"That's it," said Akio.

Aki said, "It's the one."

Rini rasped, "Are those real rubies?."

"Of course they are," said Akio. "This is a Misha gown."

Rini's eyes grew even wider. "Misha, as in the most famous young designer on Earth? There is no way I can afford that!"

Aki said, "Don't be silly, Misha doesn't sell her gowns! They have no price. She custom makes them only by request, and only for exclusive clients and special occasions."

"She made this one for you," Akio said. "It's yours."

"There's no way that's possible!" said Rini. "I have no way of communicating with Earth. How could I have ordered this gown?"

Akio said, "It was crafted for your exact measurements. I admit it is one of Misha's finest works. You must be a very special young lady."

"But…" Rini faltered, "I'm not. There's been a mix-up, some mistake."

"We do not make mistakes," Aki said. She whisked the dress away, zipping it back into it's garment bag and beginning to package the entire thing.

"I couldn't possibly accept it," Rini said.

"We could have it delivered to your living pod," Akio offered.

"No, I mean, it's not mine, I didn't order anything!"

"Regardless, it _is_ yours," Akio said. "Misha herself instructed us to deliver it to the girl fitting your exact measurements. We couldn't possibly return to Earth with it!"

"I'm telling you, there's been a mix-up."

"Everybody's combination of measurements are unique," said Akio. "It most definitely belongs to you. If you feel indebted, a thank-you would suffice."

"I…" she was interrupted as Aki pressed the now-wrapped parcel into Rini's arms. Akio had moved toward the door, holding the scarf up to escort Rini out of the shop.

"Thank you," Rini mumbled, walking out slowly.

"You're welcome!" Aki and Akio chimed together. They waved and lowered the scarf as Rini exited the shop. The bright, busy marketplace moved all around her, and she shook off enough of her daze to head over to the mechanics shop, weaving between the busy crowd.

"Sanae!" Rini found her friend leaning against the leg of the mechanic's ship, a bag full of parts over her shoulder and a smirk on her face.

"Take a look, Rini," said Sanae, jutting her chin toward the right. The cute blue-haired pilot was chatting with Teiko, who's freckled cheeks were pink and crinkled with laughter.

"You weren't interested in Mr. Friendly, but Teiko sure is."

"He looks pretty interested in her, too," Rini noticed. He nudged Teiko, jerking his thumb at a food vendor a few stalls down. Teiko nodded enthusiastically and the two headed away.

"C'mon," Sanae said, following. "We can't let him steal her! We'll keep our distance, though." She eyed Rini as they walked.

"You're kind of quiet," Sanae said. She pointed at Rini's parcel. "Is that a dress?"

"It is…"

"What, did you have to blow your life savings on it or something?"

"No, they just gave it to me, actually."

Sanae laughed. "Oh I see. So you had to blow something else, huh? I was wondering what took you so long!"

"Sanae, gross."

"No judgement! That merchant was cute! A bit short, though. Did you ask him to the Moon Ball?"

"No way! And we didn't do anything."

"Sure, ok. Neither have me and Ryuu." Sanae gave Rini a huge wink and nudge.

"Grooosss!" Rini scowled. "I'm outta here. I need to go hang this dress up."

"So sensitive!"

"Just keep an eye on Teiko, okay?"

"Duh, of course. Meet us back at her place after you're done, Rini. We've got tactics to go over.."

"Yeah, I know." Rini waved before she melted into the crowd, leaving the Lunar Market.


	29. Dates

Scene 5: Dates

After she dropped off her dress in Living Pod #109, Rini hopped on the tram. Her thoughts circled around Teiko and the mysterious Mr. Friendly, and she sighed.

 _Teiko was my date!_ she realized. _Now I'm really screwed. I can't show up to the Moon Ball all alone tomorrow!_

 _Ding!_ UPPER EDUCATION CENTER, read the destination board. Rini got off the tram and entered the mostly deserted school building.

 _Sanae said going with Donovich would be embarrassing, but it will be even more embarrassing to show up without anybody! Besides, he's my friend, and asking him would be way better than asking a stranger..._

Rini walked the halls and poked her head in the Lab. It was deserted. She tried the library next.

 _No luck! Donovich is usually lurking around here somewhere. Ah-ha, there he is!_

The pale, tall Donovich, with his mop of shaggy red hair, was pacing up and down in front of the gym's double doors.

"Hey-!" Rini started, but Donovich spun on his heel and entered the gym's swinging doors, leaving Rini alone in the empty hallway.

 _Where's he going?_ Rini walked over to the gym and cracked the door, sticking her head inside. Donovich was lingering by the pop-up bleachers, watching Kotori, who slammed her fists into a wooden practice dummy again and again.

" _Hiiyah! Yaah! YAH!"_ Kotori's strike cries echoed off the grey, padded walls of the gym. She was alone, besides Donovich, who was now walking toward her, and Rini, who slunk in and ducked behind the bleachers.

" _Huh-yah_!" Kotori threw herself into a spinning back-kick, hitting the dummy so hard that Rini winced. Kotori paused, panting.

"K-Kotori?" Donovich's nervous voice cut the silence. Kotori calmly shifted her eyes from the dummy to Donovich.

"What?" she said.

"I, um, I brought you this," Donovich said, advancing closer and holding out a water bottle.

Kotori narrowed her eyes. She said, "Water?"

"It's water, but it's different, it's been fortified in the Lab for optimal osmosis and mineral replacement in athletes! It's, uh, I made it for you."

Kotori stared him down before grabbing her own water bottle and taking a long sip.

"Well," Donovich said in the silence, "it's for you, so I'll just leave it over here, then."

"Okay," said Kotori. She turned her focus back on the dummy, shaking out her fists and checking her stance.

"Look, Kotori, I was hoping to ask you…" Donovich struggled to find words as Kotori began to practice agility, peppering the dummy with light, quick taps. He cleared his throat, took a bold step closer and said loudly,

"Kotori, will you go to the Moon Ball with me?"

 _What!_ Rini thought.

Kotori stopped training to stare Donovich down again.

 _He can't be serious!_ Rini thought, leaning forward from her hiding spot.

"You can't be serious," said Kotori.

Donovich's face was the same shade as his hair, but he boldly went on, "I know I haven't made a very good impression on you, Kotori, but let me make up for that. Let me escort you to the Moon Ball. I promise to make it a good night."

"You creep me out," Kotori said bluntly.

 _Ouch_ , thought Rini. To his credit, Donovich continued,

"I don't always know what to say or how to act. I know science, Kotori, that's what I'm good at! I won the science faire, but it didn't mean that much to me. Going to the Moon Ball with you would mean everything."

 _That's kinda sweet_ , Rini had to admit.

"Look," Donovich continued, "I just want to get to know you, as a friend. We grew up on this Moon Base together. We both won our respective categories at the Moon Festival. This could be our last chance to hang out before Placement. Please?"

When she continued to be silent, Donovich said, "I know you've probably been asked to the Ball by like 10 guys already, I just thought-"

"Actually," Kotori cut him off, "nobody's asked me. Only you."

Donovich couldn't hide his grin as he said, "That's probably because everybody is terrified of you." Kotori fixed him with a glare so icy that even Rini shivered. But then, slowly, Kotori smiled too, and very quietly laughed.

 _Did Kotori just...giggle?_ Rini gaped.

"That's probably true," said Kotori. "I suppose that makes you less of a wuss than I thought."

"So does that mean you'll go with me?"

Kotori gave him another hard stare before she said, "Okay, but as colleagues-"

"Friends?"

"As fellow champions, yes, I suppose we can go together."

"Yes!"

"But don't be a creep, and don't make me regret this."

"I won't, you won't, I-yes!" Donovich was grinning ear-to-ear.

 _I don't believe it!_ thought Rini.

"I have a lot of training to get to," Kotori said, switching her attention back to her wooden practice dummy.

"Oh-okay," Donovich stammered, backing out of the gym. "Tomorrow, then?"

"Yup," Kotori nodded, returning to her quick, feather-light blows.

"Okay, see you tomorrow night then!" Donovich called, stumbling over his feet as he tried to keep watching her, even as he left. "Okay! Bye!"

He didn't notice Rini, slumped up against the bleachers, as he left.

 _Good for him,_ Rini thought, watching as he punched the air with glee and began to whistle, heading off down the hall. _I've never seen him so happy...sucks for me, though, who the hell am I suppost to go with now?_

Rini returned her focus to Kotori. _I_ _really didn't expect that. Why would she say yes to Donovich if she's dating Masaru?_

 _Buzzz! Buzzz!_

Rini squawked as her phone began to vibrate, interrupting her thoughts. She fumbled trying to answer it, the phone clattering to the floor.

"Damn!" she muttered.

"Is somebody there?" came Kotori's voice. Rini snatched up her phone before easing out of the gym's door and back into the hallway. She pushed the answer button.

"What!" she demanded in a loud whisper, hurrying away from the gym.

"Rini, where are you?" asked Sanae's voice.

"The Education Center, Sanae, why-?"

"Great!" Sanae cut her off. "Look, I need a special soldering tool to help me fix D.D. Can you swing by the mechanics department and smuggle it out for me?"

"I suppose."

"Cool, it'll be in classroom M5. Grab the smallest one you can find and bring it by when you come back to Teiko's tonight."

"Okay."

"Thanks, Rini, bye!"

Rini clicked the 'end call' button and continued down the hall, where it turned to the right before leading to the mechanics department.

The department had it's own wing on the east side of the school. She scanned her student identification at the heavy double doors, which beeped and parted, allowing her to enter. The open space before her was filled with work benches and the projects the mechanics students were working on, which was everything from robots to spaceships. Closed classroom doors lined the open area on both sides.

Rini walked through the space, her footsteps echoing on the concrete. There was a handful of mechanics students throughout the room, and the sounds of their talking and tinkering echoed around the high-ceilinged room as well.

Rini located the classroom marked M5 and entered. There was one other person already in the room.

"Masaru!" Rini blurted out his name in surprise, causing Masaru to fumble and drop whatever he had been working on. Rini felt her cheeks turned bright pink.

"Rini, hey!" he said, smiling and picking up his project. "You surprised me!"

"Ah, sorry," Rini said. She wanted to shut the door and run away, but she was already inside…

"I didn't expect anybody to be in here today," she said.

"Me neither," Masaru said with a light laugh. "Especially you! I don't remember you being interested in mechanics."

Rini took a quiet, deep breath, slowing her rapid heart rate before countering, "And I don't remember non-students being allowed in this department."

"You caught me," Masaru said, putting his hands up playfully. "A few students who remembered me from last year let me in. I just needed a few tools."

Rini walked closer, peeking at his project. It looked like the dissembled parts of a gun. A can of pink spray paint sat next to his toolbox.

"What is that?" she asked.

"It's nothing," he said, casually sliding the larger pieces from view. "Just a gift I'm working on for someone special."

"Someone special?" said Rini, now heading toward the cabinet to search for the soldering tool Sanae had described. "Is it for your girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend?"

"Yeah." Rini kept her voice casual. "Your girlfriend, Kotori."

"She's not…it's not like that."

Rini shrugged, making a show of looking through the available tools. "You two were making out after one of her fights."

"Oh, you saw that, huh?"

"Half the arena saw it!" Rini said. She glanced over her shoulder at Masaru, whose cheeks had turned a deep shade of red. She added, a little more gently, "I guess I just assumed you two were together."

"Yeah, I actually did, too," Masaru said. After a pause he continued, "Kotori and I…We had something before I left for Mars last year. It wasn't a real relationship, I know that now, but we liked each other. When I got back, I tried to pick up where we left off but…well, she made it very clear that she's not interested in me anymore."

"I'm sorry-"

"Don't be."

"-for prying. It's really none of my business."

"It's okay." Masaru gave her a little smile. "I'm over it."

Rini returned his smile before continuing her search. She had just located the soldering tool when Masaru began to talk again.

"I heard you and Teiko won second place in the science faire," he said. "Congrats, Rini!"

"Thanks," she said, discreetly placing the soldering tool in her backpack and standing to leave.

"It's really cool how all the participants are invited to the Moon Ball this year. You'll love it, Rini, you'll get to meet so many people from other planets."

"Yeah?"

"So who's the lucky punk that gets to take you?"

"Oh." Rini's stomach dropped. "I…" she cleared her throat. "I, well, I've been so busy that, umm, I haven't really had time to, um, think about who I would want to go with."

Masaru raised his dark eyebrows. "Lots of options, then?" he asked.

Rini could feel the heat rising in her face. She said, "Not really. I-I haven't been asked yet."

"No way!"

Rini's face was burning now.

"Sorry…" Masaru looked embarrassed as well. "I just can't believe-" he cut himself off with a vicious shake of his head. Then he looked at Rini and said, "Rini, I'd love to go to the Moon Ball with you."

 _Oh. Goddesses._ "You don't…have to ask me," muttered Rini. _He feels bad for me. This is the worst day of my life!_

As though he could read her thoughts, Masaru said, "It's not like that. I really like you, Rini!"

"Masaru…"

"I've always liked you! You're my best friend's little sister!"

 _Ouch. And the moment's passed._

"I went to the Moon Ball last year with all the other top fighters who got drafted for the Red War," Masaru continued. "It would be fun to go with a pretty lady this year!"

Rini sighed. She said, "Kotori will be there, won't that be weird for you?"

"I meant it when I said I'm over her. Now c'mon, Rini, let me go with you. Please? Unless of course you had somebody else in mind?"

"Not...really."

"Then how about it? Can I be your date?"

"Um," Rini's heart was racing, "sure, Masaru."

"Alright!" Masaru grinned and winked at her. "I'll be the perfect gentleman, you'll see."

"I…," Rini took a step toward the door, "I have to get going."

"I'll see you tomorrow, then, at your living pod."

"It starts at 7."

"I'll be there by 6:30, Rini. Can't wait." He flashed her that white-toothed grin.

Rini struggled to remain cool. She said, "Okay, see you then."

"See ya."

Rini hurried outside. Her knees were weak and it was all she could do to keep from melting into a puddle once the classroom door had closed. She willed herself to walk on through the mechanics department. Her face was hot and her cheeks pulsed in time to her racing heart. Dozens of different thoughts chased their way around her head, making her dizzy.

 _I have a date!_

 _Yeah, a pity date._

 _But it's still a date! A date to the Moon Ball...and it's with Masaru!_

 _Isn't this what I've always wanted?_

 _Kind of, but not like this..._

 _So what! What else was I expecting? A date's a date, and it's MASARU!_

 _He kind of treats you like a little sister though..._

 _But he said he likes me!_

 _I don't think it's in the same way that I like him..._

Rini's thoughts continued to nag as she found her way back to the tram and rode it toward the living pods.

 _Focus!_ she demanded of herself as she neared Teiko's. _There will be so much more at stake tomorrow than your relationship with Masaru!_ And for the first time, Rini was slightly grateful for the distraction of mysterious danger and lurking evil.


	30. Preparation

Act 4/Scene 6: Preparation

 _The next day..._

"It's no use!" Sanae dropped the soldering tool with a frustrated sigh. "No matter what I try, D.D. just won't turn on!" She shook the cat-eared ball in frustration. It's antenna waved back and forth, and it's eye screens remained blank.

"It's looking pretty good," Ryuu said, coming up behind Sanae, wrapping his arms around her waist and nestling his chin against her shoulder. "Almost good as new, I can hardly see the patches!"

"Reconstructing it was the easy part," Sanae said. "The circuitry wasn't difficult either…I just can't get it to start working!"

"You've been trying for awhile."

"I must have tried three dozen different ways!"

"You should take a break, Sanae. Give it some time."

"But we _need_ D.D., Ryuu! This droid has guided and protected us through most of our missions! I have a bad feeling about sending Rini and Teiko to look for Eternity Main in the Moon Castle all alone."

"They won't be alone! They'll be able to communicate with us with those earpieces you constructed…plus now that we have the actual blueprints we've got a better idea of the layout! They'll sneak away from the Ball, switch on the system, and return before anybody even notices that they left."

"And what if they run into trouble?"

"They're both smart and have had some military training here on the Moon Base. And they'll have Peri, if worse comes to worse."

"We don't even know if they can use Peri!"

"Sanae…" Ryuu kissed her cheek. "Please, stop worrying. Everything will be fine."

"I'd still feel better if D.D. were here," Sanae grumped, staring at the lifeless droid in front of her.

 _Wha wha! Wha wha!_

"That's the midday alarm," Ryuu said.

"I've got to get to Rini's to help her and Teiko get ready," Sanae said, standing with a sigh. "I'll come back after they're dressed and live streaming." She held up the small speakers and tiny cameras she, Ryuu, and Takeshi had constructed earlier, rolling them up and carefully placing them in her purse. She gave Ryuu a long, lingering kiss.

"I'll be back soon," Sanae promised.

She made her way to Rini's, keeping her head down as she passed numerous Base Force Police Officers.

"Security's really tight out there," Sanae said as soon as she had made it into the living room of Pod #109.

"They're looking for Ryuu and Takeshi," Teiko said. She was in Rini's room, curling the long side of her hair

"They called Dad in for questioning early this morning," Rini said. She wore a matching sheer bra and panties, and her hair was looking extra shiny and fluffy in it's typical odango style. "He hasn't returned yet, and it's making me nervous. I almost want to stay home tonight!"

"You can't!" Sanae and Teiko said together.

"Finding Eternity Main is way too important!" said Sanae. "It's the last mission D.D. gave us!"

"I know," said Rini with a sigh, "that's why I said _almost_. I have a bad feeling about tonight, though."

"That's just because you're nervous about being with Masaru," Sanae said. "Now sit down! Let me fix up your hair."

Sanae clipped red rose pins around Rini's pointed odango buns. Next she did Rini's makeup, giving her red lips that matched the roses, shimmery cheekbones and a delicate cat-eye that gave her round face the hint of an edge.

Then, Sanae helped Teiko clip-up her light brown curls before spritzing them in gold glitter-spray. She kept Teiko's makeup more natural with a nude lip and brown eyeshadow.

"Hurry up and change!" Sanae ordered. "I can't wait to see your gowns!" Teiko was ready first. Her gown was forest green with gold detailing on the short puffed sleeves and along the deep v, with the layers of chiffon skirts forming a luxe tutu. Her golden heels had bows with satin ribbons that laced up the length of her legs.

"You're the prettiest ballerina in the galaxy!" Sanae squealed. Then she saw Rini's dress, and her mouth fell open.

"Oh, goddesses!" said Teiko. "Rini! You look like a princess!"

"She looks like a _queen_!" Sanae said. Rini's legs were long and slender under her sheer skirts, and the corset pushed her full bust together perfectly.

"All hail the queen!" said Teiko.

"You're positively distracting!" said Sanae, poking Rini's exposed cleavage. "Poor Masaru has no idea what he signed up for!"

"Maybe now I'll be more that just his best friend's little sister," Rini said, seductively pursing her lips and wiggling her hips.

"Just don't steal Dez away, too," Teiko warned. "That one's mine!"

The three best friends were giggling, adding final touches onto their hair and makeup, when the from door buzzed.

"It's time already?" Rini said.

"Stay here!" Sanae said. She left Rini's room, closing the door and opening the front entrance for the boys. Teiko's date, Dez, had on a black tuxedo with a green shirt and golden bowtie. Masaru wore tails and had a red rose pinned to his satin lapel. His dark purple hair had been neatly styled.

"Masaru, meet Dez," Sanae said. "Dez-Masaru. Your dates will be right out!"

Sanae hurried back into the room, where she quickly hooked the tiny cameras and microphones up to her friends. She gave them each a miniscule speaker that they placed inside of their ears.

"Testing," said Teiko, thumping her microphone. She nodded to Sanae. "Takeshi and Ryuu can hear us."

"Good!" said Sanae. "I'll be back there with them in a few minutes. Okay, Rini, Teiko, remember the plan! Just play it cool, slip away when nobody is looking, then get back to the Moon Ball before anybody notices."

"Won't they realize something is up once we flip on Eternity Main?" asked Rini.

"I'm not sure what will happen," admitted Sanae. "But I trust D.D., so get it done! Do you have the lamp?"

"Yes." Rini held up the rose purse that concealed Peri's creamer. "I hate this part of the plan, though!"

"We should have destroyed that lamp," Teiko agreed.

"Well hopefully you won't need to use Peri!" said Sanae. "Are you two ready?" Teiko and Rini nodded, and Sanae opened the door. Both boys immediately stood up as the girls entered the living room.

"Wow, Rini…!"

"Teiko! You look incredible!"

Sanae watches as the boys gushed, then finally offered their respective arms and escorted their ladies outside of the living pod and down the hall. Sanae went the opposite direction, hurrying back to where Ryuu and Takeshi were already tuned in to the spy camera's feeds. Teiko's feed was running on her dad's computer monitor and Rini's was on Takeshi's laptop.

"Good job, Sanae!" said Ryuu. "Everything is hooked up and running perfectly."

"Yeah, but now the real work begins," said Sanae, pulling up a copy of the Moon Castle's blueprints on Ryuu's laptop and popping a headset over her springy curls.

"Hot mama!" said Takeshi. He was craning his neck to see Teiko's feed, which was currently showing a full view of Rini in her gown. "Damn, Ryuu, I can't believe you two are related! She's freaking gorgeous!"

"You wouldn't stand a chance," Ryuu said, turning the monitor away from Takeshi.

"Aw, c'mon," Takeshi begged. "Let me at least look!"

"Focus!" said Sanae. "Our team is heading into the heart of enemy territory! I won't compromise their safety just because you two keep messing around!"

"Jeez, okay!" said Takeshi. "You sound just like D.D., Sanae."

"Good!" said Sanae. "Somebody needs to be in charge of mission control. The only difference is, D.D. always seemed to know what it was talking about!"

"Everything is going to be fine," Ryuu said, kissing Sanae on the cheek.

"I hope you're right," Sanae said, watching as Masaru and Dez escorted their dates off the tram and into the Moon Castle.


	31. Placements

Act 4/Scene 7: Placements

Masaru lead Rini into the grand ballroom, watching her from the corner of his eye as she walked in. Her ruby eyes were wide and her cheeks turned a soft shade of pink as she took in the marble floor, the chandeliers, the silver streamers and dripping crystals that sent fractals of rainbow light speckling the domed ceiling and ornate walls like clusters of stars.

"This is incredible!" she breathed, her hand falling from his arm as she went to gaze at a stained glass window. They lined the room in intervals, each depicting a different goddess.

"The banquet is this way," Masaru gently reminded her, holding out his hand. She took it and they continued on, Teiko and Dez walking a few steps behind, whispering and giggling to each other.

They entered the next room, which was lit with hundreds of candles that dotted the walls and lined the spiraling handrail of the glass staircase that wound up the center. The beautiful mural on the top of the tall room was obscured in the flickering shadows. Guards-finely dressed but unmistakably guards- ushered them into the banquet hall from there.

Long tables decorated with white, silver, and gold were already occupied by so many finely dressed guests. Masaru noticed the eyes that fell on Rini when they made their entrance, and he tightened his grip ever so slightly on her hand, straightening his posture proudly as well.

"Our seats are here!" said Teiko, indicating four open spots with tags that depicted their names in beautiful curling script.

"These centerpieces are gorgeous!" Rini said, smelling the bouquet of white roses closest to them. "I've never seen so many fresh flowers in one place before! Where do they get them from?"

"There's a garden outside," Masaru said. "It's kind of a secret. I can show it to you later, if you want."

"A garden?" Rini said. "What do you mean, outside? That isn't possible."

Masaru smiled, "There are so many things in this galaxy you have yet to discover, Rini." Her ruby eyes searched his amethyst ones, as though reading into his words.

 _Pop!_

A guard came by with a bottle, pouring something bubbly into the empty glasses in front of each place setting. Masaru held Rini's out to her, and she came back over to accept it and to take her seat next to him.

"Rini! Teiko! You two look ravishing!" Moon Base students and instructors alike complimented the girls as they passed by on their way to their assigned seating.

"Hi, Rini!" A tall red-headed boy had made his way over to the group. "Hey, Teik!"

"Donovich!" Teiko smiled up at him. "Congrats on winning the science faire."

The boy shrugged, his face turning pink. "You're project was quite good as well," he told both girls.

"Thanks, Donovich," said Rini.

"Ladies and gentleman!"

Masaru turned toward the speaker, who stood near the opposite side entrance of the banquet hall. She was a bronzed-skinned, curvaceous beauty wrapped in a pale blue dress with golden shoes that curled at the toes and large geometrical golden earrings. Her long, dark ponytail floated weightlessly above her, as though she were submerged in water.

"Take your seats, please!" the woman said. She smiled at the room, her eyes the pale color of ice. "Allow me to introduce our emissary from the planet Earth, Kai!"

The students began to clap as a muscular blonde man appeared, dressed in a dark blue tuxedo that matched his midnight eyes. He took a seat at the head table.

The woman continued, "And please welcome our emissary from the planet Mars, General Aka!" Masaru clapped for his stern-faced commander, who wore red. "And our emissary from Venus, Eros!" the man wore gold and yellow Venusian robes, and his features looked as though they had been chiseled from marble.

"And finally, everybody, please welcome the leader and protector of our humble Moon, Princess Poudretteite!"

Everybody stood and began to clap as a pink-haired woman entered the room. She was dressed in billowy skirts that were shades fuchsia and hot pink, with satin black gloves and a black bow tied around her waist. Her picture hat was black with pink details and a beaded liner.

She glided up to the center of the table, gracefully conducting the crowd to re-take their seats.

"Welcome, all!" Poudretteite said in a voice like a chime. "I am so excited to have all these bright, wonderful minds in my Moon Castle tonight! A banquet has been prepared in your honor, featuring favorite courses from the Sister Planets!"

Kia acknowledged the clapping with a deep nod. Eros smiled and waved to the group.

Poudretteite continued, "The Placement Ceremony will take place shortly after the banquet, and then we shall begin the Ball! We have some wonderful musicians from the notorious musical academy on Venus joining us tonight!"

A group of robed musicians seated by themselves stood and bowed, and the clapping continued.

"Please, everybody, enjoy your stay. Let the festivities begin!" Poudretteite waved her arms, and guards emerged with carts laden with glistening hams and honeyed poultry, huge hand-painted bowls filled with steaming soups and curries, baskets overfilled with stuffed buns, trays of multicolored cakes and sweets, piles of exotic fruits, and plenty of beverages to wash everything down.

The guards visited every table, serving the guests. Rini was nodding enthusiastically to the tray of cakes she was offered.

"I've never seen this fruit before!" she told Masaru, and he smiled as he watched her bite into a dark purple cake topped with a bubbly berry.

"That's a blackberry!" Dez explained from next to Teiko. "We grow red ones on Earth, too, called raspberries."

"What's in here, Dez?" Teiko wondered, pointing at a clear bun with pink filling.

"I think that's shrimp," said Dez. "It's a protein from the sea."

Masaru watched as Teiko and Rini exchanged wide-eyed glances.

"We rarely see seafood to the Moon," Masaru told Dez. "It doesn't survive the journey as well as other protein can."

"What did you eat while you were stationed on Mars?" Rini asked Masaru, selecting a dumpling of her own.

"Mostly well-preserved food items from Earth, just like what you would typically eat on the Moon," Masaru said. "Although occasionally we would get shipments from Venus…" he waved over a guard, who was carting around a pot of sizzling stew that smelled like cinnamon, though more rich.

"This has Venusian spices," said Masaru. "You have to try it, Rini!"

"I'm going to try everything!" said Rini, and she did her best, but eventually even she couldn't eat one more bite.

The planetary emissaries and Poudretteite had left the banquet minutes ago, and the guards were beginning to clear away the dishes. Students and instructors were standing and mingling, slowly trickling back into the cylindrical hall.

"Shall we?" asked Masaru, allowing a guard to top off his drink. The others nodded and he led the way into the large, candlelit space.

From a few steps up on the spiraling glass staircase, Poudretteite spoke to the room.

"Our three emissaries have spent the week observing the students," she said. "They have taken note of your individual talents and strengths, deciding who will be the best matches for Placements. As you all know, being Placed is the rare honor of being invited to travel to an emissary's home planet in order to further your education at a top university or military facility. Shall we begin?"

Poudretteite withdrew down the staircase as General Aka climbed forward. Once she was on the ground floor, the strange woman with the floating ponytail whispered into Poudretteite's ear, scanning the crowd with her icy pale eyes. The woman made Masaru uneasy, and he gripped Rini's hand with his left while he slipped his right hand into his pocket, wrapping his fingers around the gun he had concealed there.

General Aka began to speak. He said, "Mars is not safe, like Earth, Venus, and this Moon are. It has no force field that acts as a barrier against the darkness in our Solar System. We need fighters, but also scientists to help us win the Red War that rages there."

Masaru shivered slightly as Aka talked of Mars, gripping his gun harder.

"Ow!" squeaked Rini. Masaru had gripped her hand a little too hard, too.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, "are you okay?"

She nodded and asked back, "What's the matter?"

"Just…flashbacks," Masaru said. "This is how I was Placed last year."

"Diakuto! Rose! Kotori!" General Aka was listing the names of top fighters in Rini's class. "Please accept the honorable invitation to come help win the Red War on Mars."

Kai went next, giving General Aka a low bow as they exchanged places. Kai said, "The planet Earth is prosperous, protected, and full of opportunity for young budding minds. I would like to extend an invitation to the winner of the Moon Festival's science faire, Donovich! Donovich, Earth's renown science academy would be honored to train you."

In the crowd, Masaru saw a red head towering above the rest, nodding enthusiastically. Next to Masaru, Rini gave a little sigh, and Teiko sympathetically put her arm around her friend.

"I would also like to invite Kotori to our elite military academy!"

"Two invitations?" whispered Teiko. "Can they do that?"

"Yes, thought it's rare," said Masaru. "The emissaries can invite as many or as few as they want, and whoever they want, although obviously Kotori can only choose one place."

Eros took Kai's space next. He said, "It seems as though the planets are of one mind, for Venus would like to extend an invitation to Kotori as well!" The crowd murmured and a few people clapped. Eros smiled down into the crowd, presumably at Kotori, before continuing.

"You fought so well at the Moon Festival, my dear. Venus would be honored to have you fight for our royal guard. We would also like to invite Garet, the winner of the Moon Festival's mechanics faire! And there was a lovely dancer that Venus's fine arts academy would love to train, her name is Teiko!"

Masaru, Rini, and Dez all stared at the blushing Teiko.

"I didn't know you were a dancer!" said Dez, smiling in approval.

Teiko was smiling as well. "I danced for the opening ceremony of the Moon Festival," she said, "but I never ever dreamed I'd be Placed!"

"Teiko, that's wonderful!" said Rini, hugging her friend.

"And lastly," continued Eros, "we found potential in a science faire project that didn't place first-a raw passion that our scientific academies are so good at honing-would you please accept our invitation to study on Venus, Rini?"

Rini's face went white. "Did…he-?"

"EEEK!" Teiko squeezed Rini almost violently, and suddenly the two girls were laughing, dancing together in the cylindrical hall. The students closest to the group turned their annoyed eyes toward the outburst, while the rest of the crowd clapped as the Placements ceremony came to a close.

"I can't believe this!" Rini giggled, allowing Teiko to twirl her around and around. Her feather-trimmed skirts swirled and fanned around her bare legs like cresting waves.

"We're going to Venus together!" Teiko sang. "I'm so happy! Rini and Teik, together forever!"


	32. Eternity Main

Act 4/Scene 8: Eternity Main

"Good goddesses, girls, calm down!" snapped Ryuu's voice from the speaker in Rini's ear. She knew Teiko was hearing him, too.

"Congratulations, both of you," came Sanae's voice, "but don't get sidetracked! We have a mission to complete, remember?"

Rini and Teiko gave each other a silent little nod, though Teiko's silly grin persisted.

The two couples followed the sound of strings back into the ballroom, where tailored tuxedos twirled blooming skirts under the shimmering light of the chandeliers. Teiko gathered her skirts and spun herself into the center of the floor, with Dez laughing and chasing after her.

"May I?" asked Masaru, holding out his hand for Rini. She placed her hand in his and he took the lead.

"So have I been the perfect gentlemen so far tonight, or what?" asked Masaru. His face was close to hers, and she could smell his musky aftershave.

Rini said, "I suppose, but tonight isn't over yet!"

Masaru lowered his voice and said, "I should probably warn you about the wolf I turn into once the clock strikes midnight." He licked his lips and gave a playful snap of his teeth. Rini felt that familiar hot blush blossom over her cheeks.

She said, "Good thing I keep a leash at home."

Masaru chuckled. "I didn't take you for that type of girl," he said. "Although I think there is a lot I may have underestimated about you." His eyes roamed up and down her figure, the velvet leotard and sheer shirts leaving very little to the imagination.

"I-"

Masaru pulled her closer, until they were nose-to-nose, and Rini lost her train of thought.

 _He's so close..._

"You what?" mumbled Masaru, closing in on her lips.

"Ok, that's enough dancing!" Takeshi's voice crackled over the speaker in her ear. "Break it up, you have a mission, girlie!"

"I'm not too good at dancing!" Rini blurted, breaking free of Masaru's grasp. "Er-can we sit this one out?"

"Of course, love," he said, smiling slyly. "Let's get another drink, yeah?"

"Could you?" Rini smiled and gave her eyelashes a bat. "I'd like to rest for a minute." She motioned toward a velvet chaise lounge along the side of the ballroom, next to a stained glass window and a few potted plants.

"Oh, sure, Rini, be right back."

 _I'm not used to him flirting with me like this!_ Rini thought, fanning herself with her rose purse as soon as he walked away. _He's so hot in that tuxedo! I feel so nervous around him tonight!_

 _Calm down,_ she told herself, taking a few deep breaths. Her heartrate slowed but she couldn't help the grin that tugged at the corners of her mouth. _He likes me! He tried to kiss me! I want to run and jump on the dance floor like Teiko, but I know I'd just end up falling flat on my face!_

Instead Rini perched on the velvet chaise lounge and studied the stained glass window next to her. It depicted a beautiful goddess in robes of blue and white, a crown of silver and sapphires perched on top of her short blue locks, her arms cradling a silver harp and her deep blue eyes looking straight into Rini's.

"Who is she?" Rini asked.

"I don't know," came Sanae's voice.

"That's the Goddess of Mercury," said Masaru.

"You're back!" Rini squeaked. _I didn't see him-that was quick!_

Masaru simply handed Rini her drink and continued, "On Mars they believe each planet in the Solar System is protected by a powerful goddess who can wield cosmic power."

"Cosmic power?" Rini asked, her mouth going dry. She took a hasty sip of her beverage.

"It's a type of power they don't talk about on the Moon or the Sister Planets, but it is very real and powerful. On Mars, the war queen Bellona could wield it, and when she joined the battles she could create firestorms that would kill dozens of our troops at a time."

A shadow crossed over Masaru's face. Rini said, "But you just said the goddesses used cosmic power to protect people."

" _Their_ people," said Masaru. "Our ancestors fought and defeated the goddesses long ago, sealing them away so that we might have a chance at survival. Earth and Venus are flourishing because of our efforts, but Mars remains at war."

"She is so beautiful," said Rini, looking up at the Goddess of Mercury. "It is hard to believe that she would harm anyone!"

"Power is both beautiful and destructive," said Masaru with a shrug. "Besides, it happened so long ago, it is hard to distinguish between fantasy and reality. I'm sure most of the tales are just myths, and that the goddesses never really existed."

Rini took another sip of her drink, unsure of what to say. Masaru moved to stand between her and the window.

"Can I show you the garden now?" Masaru asked.

"No!" came Takeshi's voice. "Teiko! Stop dancing and take Rini away from this guy!"

"Takeshi, cut it out!" said Sanae's voice.

"They have a mission!" snapped Takeshi. "Time is running out!"

"Rini?" asked Masaru.

"Rini!" Teiko flounced up from the dancefloor and threaded her arm through Rini's. Dez strode up as well. He had taken off his suit jacket, and both he and Teiko were flushed and out of breath.

"We have to go to the girl's room!" Teiko informed the boys. She lead Rini away from Masaru and the window, past the dance floor and back into the cylindrical room. Half of the candles had flickered out and the hall was empty and deeply in shadow.

"Take the stairs to the first landing," said Ryuu, and the girls quickly tiptoed up the corkscrew, their heels making little _clink clink_ noises on the glass stairs. Teiko grabbed one of the lit candles from the railing.

"I have a feeling we might need this," she said, and Rini nodded.

"Okay, now open the second door to your right," Ryuu continued once they reached the landing. Rini opened the door cautiously. The empty room was a type of welcoming hall, with a fountain and plushy furniture and plants.

"Go through this hall, then down the next flight of stairs, all the way to the basements."

"You and Masaru were looking pretty cozy back there," Teiko said as the girls walked through the hall.

"He tried to kiss me," Rini said, a smile spreading across her face.

"Eek!" squealed Teiko, wrapping an arm around her friend's waist and pulling her in for a side hug. "He _loves_ you! I'm so happy for you!"

"He just wants to bang you because you're wearing that slutty dress," Takeshi's voice grumbled.

"Enough!" shouted Sanae. "Give me your headset, Takeshi! You've lost your speaking privileges!"

The sound of scuffling ensued, making Rini and Teiko giggle. They had reached the second staircase, this one made of stone, and began their decent down to the basement level. The candle's light threw the girl's elongated shadows against the walls.

"What do you think of Dez?" Rini asked Teiko.

"Ugh, he's so wonderful!" Teiko said. "He's a pilot, and he's flown all over the Earth and Venus and even as far as Europa! He has so many cool stories, Rini! I feel so unadventurous compared to him-I've never been anywhere."

"Well that's all about to change in just a few short weeks," Rini said.

Teiko said, "I can't _wait_ to go to Venus! Dez said that the dance academy there is twice the size of this entire Moon Base!"

"You two better come back and visit me," came Sanae's pouting voice. "I mean it! I can't believe _both_ my best friends are leaving me!"

"They're not gone yet," said Ryuu. "They're not even in the basement yet! Everybody needs to stop talking and pay attention!"

Silence fell, and Rini and Teiko continued down the stairs, past the main hall and down into blackness. Even the candle's light strained to reach a few feet ahead.

"Where are we?" Rini asked in a whisper as she and Teiko left the staircase for the darkness ahead.

Ryuu answered, "According to the blueprints, you're in something similar to the dungeon, although it's on the opposite side of the Moon Castle so I'm not entirely sure."

Rini shivered, drawing closer to Teiko, as Ryuu continued, "You'll want to go through the second door to your left."

They passed the first door, which was locked and bolted with a huge iron device.

"Uh-oh," Teiko mumbled, and the girls hurried forward to the next door. It had been fastened in the same manner.

"We're locked out!" Teiko said in a harsh whisper. She yanked on the door handle but nothing budged.

"Find a way to get in!" said Ryuu. "I'm positive this is where Eternity Main is kept!"

Teiko handed Rini her candle, and proceeded to yank on the latch and the handle, straining against the lock.

"It's pointless!" Teiko said. "We need to go back for something sharp to pick the lock!"

"We don't have that kind of time!" said Rini. She handed the candle back. "Let me try."

Rini placed one hand on the knob and another on the huge, rusty bolt that barred the door. The bolt crumbled away at her fingertips.

"What!" Teiko gasped. Rini shrugged.

"I guess it was just really old," Rini said.

"No way, that thing was locked tight!"

Rini put her finger to her lips, silencing Teiko, and eased the door open. She took the candle and walked through first, illuminating the room.

"It looks like nobody has been down here in ages," said Rini. The entire room was laced with cobwebs and blanketed with a thick layer of dust that swirled around the girls' feet like fog as they moved into the room.

"I have a really bad feeling about this," said Teiko.

"Alright, Ryuu, what're we looking for?" asked Rini, holding up the candle's weak light.

"Anything that looks like a computer server, I'd think," said Ryuu.

"Rini!" Teiko grabbed Rini's arm. "Look!" Further down into the darkness, there was a small dais of white marble, illuminated by a soft glow.

"There's something…stuck in there," Rini noticed, approaching the dais. "It's- a sword?"

"I think that's far enough!" A deep, feminine voice reverberated throughout the room. Rini and Teiko drew together, peering into the surrounding darkness.

"Who's there!" demanded Rini. A mist shrouded her and Teiko, causing their candle to sputter out. The speaker, however, glowed on her own.

The djinn was lit with a blue light that emanated from her the same way the mist did. Her pale eyes were like blue sparks in the dark. She was the same woman who had introduced Princess Poudretteite during the banquet.

"My name," she said, "is Cin, and I'm here to arrest you, Guardian of the Moon!"

Teiko gasped, and Rini said, "We don't know what you're talking about!"

"Don't play dumb, traitors of the Moon! Why else would you two be down here?"

"We-we're lost!"

Cin laughed, the mirthless sound weaving in and out of the darkness.

"I don't know which one of you is the Guardian!" Cin said. "So I'll take you both!" She thrust out her hand, and a jet of water blasted toward the girls like a whip. Rini and Teiko each dove in an opposite direction, the water splashing against the foot of the dais.

"Don't make this so hard on yourselves, girls," said Cin, raising her arms high above her. A thick shroud of mist fell, and Rini could see nothing but grey water vapor against black.

"Teiko?" she called to her friend.

"Rini!" came Teiko's voice. "Rin- _eeeaaahh!_ "

"Teiko!" Rini ran toward the scream.

"Don't!" came Sanae's voice. "Rini, now's the time! Summon Peri!"

"Right!" said Rini, pulling the glittering creamer from her rose purse and raising it above her head. "Peri, go!"

Nothing happened.

"Rini, dammit, take off the lid!" snapped Ryuu.

"Oh, right," muttered Rini, removing the lid. Smoke swirled before forming into the bronzed-skinned man who towered above her.

"I am Peri!" he said. "One of the three sacred djinn of Zanzun. Your wish is my command!"

Rini said, "I can't see, Peri! Light this place up!" With a bow, Peri spread his arms. Flames burst to life in large golden bowls on top huge pillars that lined the room. Rini gasped as the light spread.

The room they were in was huge and ancient, filled with crumbling marble pillars and archways who's pure white was greying with dust and age. The ceiling seemed impossibly high-even the light of the many torches did not reach the top.

"Teiko!" Teiko had been tied against a pillar, and the ropes that bound her swirled about her wrists and waist like water.

"Let her go!" Rini demanded. Cin narrowed her eyes, no longer smiling.

"Give me Peri's vessel!" she snarled, "and I'll set your friend free!"

"She's lying, Rini!" came Ryuu's voice. "If you hand over the creamer, you'll have to fight both of them!"

Rini said, "Peri! Free my friend!"

"Yes, Mistress," replied Peri. He disappeared into a cloud of smoke, reappearing a moment later next to Teiko, where he went for her ropes.

 _Khssssss!_

Peri yelled and drew his hands back, his skin black and smoking.

"Peri cannot undo my water spell," said Cin, "anymore than fire can burn water! Yaaa!" She loosed a jet of the same enchanted water toward Rini, who tried to dive out of the way. The enchantment wrapped itself around her ankle, as strong as a rope of iron.

"Peri!" Rini screeched as the water tendril spiraled up her leg, pulling her toward Cin. "Stop her, stop Cin!"

"You will really make him fight me?" Cin asked as Peri turned to face her, both black fists encased in flames. "We are not meant for this!"

"Then let us go!" Rini demanded. The water rope had latched on to her other leg as she spoke.

"I have my orders," said Cin, narrowing her eyes at Peri as he ran at her. She twirled, her skirts splaying around her waist, a turbulent ball of water forming above her raised hands. She sent it directly at Peri, in the same moment as he launched a stream of fire at her. Their attacks met, flashing and crashing, water and fire swirling together and then exploding with a white-hot force.

Rini was thrown backwards into the dust and rubble. Her earpiece flew out, her ears were ringing, her skin was scratched and bleeding and her skirts were torn. Most of the torches had been extinguished by the gust from the blast, but a few still burned, and in the weak light Rini saw the pillar Teiko was tied to had been blown away.

"Teik…" Rini rasped as she struggled to her feet. She saw her friend lying nearby and hurried to her.

"Are you okay!" Rini knelt to help Teiko stand.

"Yeah," grunted Teiko. "I-Rini! Watch out!" The water-ropes whipped out of the darkness and dust, coiling themselves around Rini's ankles and wrists, snaking up her legs and around her waist.

"You'll pay for what you just made me do!" hissed Cin.

"Peri! Help!" screamed Rini.

"Look!" Cin slashed her arm through the air, sending Rini crashing against the debris-covered floor. Rini slid to a stop in front of the creamer's golden mosaic lid, glittering pieces of the vessel scattered all around it.

"Peri has been destroyed!" wailed Cin. "You have no idea what you have done!"

With another mighty sweep of her arms, the enchanted water-ropes threw Rini across the room. White and red stars exploded in her vision as her head cracked against the wall's smooth stone surface.

"Princess Poudretteite wished that I bring her the Guardian of the Moon!" said Cin. "She did not say that you needed to be alive!" Cin flung a stream of water, thin and sharp, directly at Rini. It whistled through the air, the gleaming, fluid arrow reflected in Rini's widening ruby eyes, heading straight for her throat.

 _Blam! Blam blam!_

The arrow and the ropes binding Rini lost their form and splashed into murky puddles on the dirty floor.

"Rini!" Somebody was running up to her. Rini's knees locked, and he caught her before she fell.

"Masaru?" she took in the sight of him, still in his tuxedo, his styled purple locks falling out of place and a pink gun clenched in his right hand.

"You think bullets can stop me!" said Cin, slowly rising from the floor, her skin swirling over her fresh bullet wounds like waves over footprints in the sand. Rini watched from over Masaru's shoulder.

"Rini!" said Masaru, drawing her attention back to him. "Whatever you came here to do, do it fast! I'll hold the djinn off while I can!"

"But what are you doing here?" Rini asked, still dazed.

"You left, so I followed you!" Masaru said. "And it's a good thing I did! Now move!"

Masaru released her, turning to face Cin.

 _Eternity Main_ …thought Rini, turning back toward the dais. She ran up to it, but the dais, along with the sword imbedded within it, flickered and faded as she approached.

"A hologram!" Rini realized as she stepped through the dais. A white glow encircled the area where she stood, and a stream of white light streaked across the floor. Horizontal and then vertical, the streak went up and up, growing into a glowing crystal tower that seemed to reach up as far as the sky.

There was another flash of white, just like the flash that Cin and Peri's enchantments had made, though softer, gentler, it's force caressing Rini like a warm breeze. It lasted a heartbeat, and when it faded, a woman stood between Rini and the crystal tower. She was tall, with moon-pale skin, long lavender hair, a pure white gown and a sparkling crescent moon embedded on her forehead.

The woman spoke, "I have waited centuries to meet you, granddaughter."


	33. Helios

Arc 1: Moon

Act 5: Moon Locket

Scene 1: Helios

"Who-who are you?" Rini gasped.

The woman smiled, and then her ethereal image blurred, like a computer glitch.

She said, "I am Queen Serenity-" her image blurred again, and her words rattled together, "-ancient Moon Kingdom-you look just like her-"

"Who!" asked Rini, stepping toward the woman.

"-I've waited so long-my darling granddaughter…" Queen Serenity smiled at Rini, bending down toward her and extending a fuzzy hand to caress Rini's cheek. Rini could feel nothing. The queen said, "You must listen-you must find her-"

"Who are you talking about!" Rini said, but the image blurred beyond distinction and faded away.

"Queen Serenity?" asked Rini, looking all around her. She was alone in the blackness, save for the huge, white crystal tower that reached on forever, illuminating the space.

"Hello?" Rini's voice echoed through the darkness. _Where am I?_ Her heart began to beat faster.

"Hello?" said a male voice softly. It seemed to come from every direction, and Rini twirled as she looked for the owner, her gown spreading and falling like a quick-blooming flower.

"Who's there?" asked the gentle voice. Rini saw him then, walking out of the blackness toward her. He wore a white suit, and his golden tie matched his eyes.

Rini gasped and took an involuntary step back. _I recognize those eyes_ …she knew that full mouth and the fall of those platinum locks.

"You're-!" she gasped, "-from my dreams!"

"How did you find this place?" he asked. He stopped a few feet away from Rini, illuminated by a soft golden glow.

"I don't know," said Rini. "I was looking for Eternity Main, and now I'm…where am I?" In response, the man smiled and waved a hand, as though lazily brushing a fly from in front of him. Stars twinkled in the darkness, hundred and thousands and millions, planets appeared and Rini saw Jupiter, Mars, Venus and finally Earth, a spinning blue orb that was still far away, yet closer that she had ever seen it before.

Below her feet she could see the Moon, and the Moon Base, Moon Castle, and troops that covered a portion of the surface. She floated above it all, her pink heels standing on empty space, and the realization made her feel woozy.

"It's alright," said the man, his voice as warm as his golden gaze. He reached a hand toward Rini, but she moved out of his range, circling on him.

"What is this!" she demanded. "Who are you!"

"My name," he said, "is Helios, and I am a friend."

"A friend of who's!"

He laughed, so lightly. "I am a friend of Queen Serenity and of the ancient Moon Kingdom, which makes me a friend of yours."

"I don't understand," said Rini. "What happened to the Queen?"

"What remains of Queen Serenity is merely a recording, saved in an ancient system known as Eternity Main," said Helios.

"She-called me granddaughter-!"

"Yes. You are a princess and heir to the Moon Kingdom, Rini."

"How do you know my name-how do you know any of this?"

"We do not have much time, Rini," he said. "You must trust me. I served by your side loyally as your knight, a century ago. Back then, the Light left us and all became lost. I protected you for as long as I could, and in the end I used the last of my power to send you here, to be reborn on the Moon, because I thought you would be safe."

"What is the Light?"

Helios just continued, "I thought you would be safe, but I was wrong. The darkness has continued to spread. It has overthrown the White Moon Kingdom of your bloodline and taken your rightful place on the throne. Poudretteite is an imposter, an agent of the darkness, and her Alpha Lunar Shield keeps cosmic power from entering the Moon's atmosphere.

Cosmic Power is your birthright, Rini. You must destroy her shield in order to fully gain your powers as a sailor senshi!"

"How?" Rini had so many questions, but only this one word managed to squeeze itself out of her tight throat.

"You must destroy her remaining djinn, Cin and Seirei. They are the source of the Lunar Shield's power. And then you must destroy Poudretteite the pretender. Only then will Eternity Main reboot and bring back the rightful Moon Kingdom-your kingdom!"

"But I can't…my family lives on the Moon Base-my friends-!"

"Your destiny is to rule the Moon Kingdom, Rini," said Helios, taking a step closer, his smile warm as the sun. "Do not be afraid. The Moon and it's citizens will thrive under your rule."

"I-" Rini's breath came in quick, ragged gasps. _This is all so much-!_ "I'm not ready!"

Helios took another step toward Rini, and then another. He was so tall, and Rini inclined her chin to gaze into his face. A halo of golden light encircled his head. He sank down on one knee in front of her.

"My princess," he breathed, "it is truly miraculous, seeing you here in front of me again. I had lost you so long ago, and I have been alone up here ever since, waiting for you…I had almost given up hope."

A tear like a star trickled down the sharp plane of his cheekbone.

"Helios…"

"Seeing you now, Rini-it feels almost as though the Light has returned once again. Our Solar System lives with the same dark despair that dwelled within me before today. Give them hope, Rini, just as you have given it to me."

"But I-this is crazy-!"

"Rini!"

She heard her name being called from very far away.

"Masaru!" she remembered. "Teiko! I have to help them!"

"Use this," said Helios. He held his right hand up to her, where a living star floated, shining, spinning. With a flash it compacted itself into a round platinum brooch with a glittering pink heart embossed on the outside.

"This is your Pink Moon Locket, Rini. It contains a small bit of Cosmic Power which will help you save your friends."

He handed it to Rini, but when he placed the brooch in her hands it fell straight through her open palms as though she were not there. Down, down, the brooch twinkled like a shooting star as Rini watched it fall to the surface of the Moon, farther and farther until it disappeared from view.

"Rini!"

Rini looked up. Helios and outer space had vanished. When she looked behind her, she was back in the dimly lit room with the ruins, and Masaru was shouting her name.

"Rini!"

"Masaru!"

"Rini! Run!"

The enchanted water ropes were heading straight toward her, and she dove aside just in time. Masaru was instantly next to her, pulling her to her feet.

"Where's Teiko?" Rini asked.

"Outside, waiting for us!" said Masaru. "Let's go!"

They ran toward the exit, and as soon as Rini cleared the threshold Masaru swung it shut and threw himself against the door.

A deep, seductive giggle sounded from the other side of the door.

"Do you really think closed doors can keep me out?" asked Cin, her whisper wrapping itself around Rini, chilling her to the bone. "I'm not done with you three yet!" A mist crept from the crack under the door, and out from the gaps on the sides as well.

"Let's get out of here!" it was Teiko's voice speaking from the gloom. Her shadowy form was already moving toward the dimly lit staircase that was dozens of yards away.

Rini felt strong fingers entwine themselves with hers.

"Are you ready?" Masaru asked.

Rini nervously nodded, and when she realized Masaru couldn't see her she forced out the word "Yes." Then they began to run again.

 _Clack clack clack clack clack!_

Rini and Teiko's heels slapped against the stone floor, the sound echoing throughout the darkness. Rini heard her own jagged breath escaping as she desperately tried to keep pace with Masaru. He moved so quickly, he was practically dragging her behind him. When he slipped and fell, Rini hit the ground hard right next to him. Beneath them, the floor was slick and wet.

 _Tsk tsk tsk!_

Cin stood over them, her arms crossed, her ice blue eyes smiling down to the couple at her feet. Her inky ponytail floated upwards, disappearing into the gloom above.

"You're old enough to know by now," she hissed, raising her arms above her head, "things get slippery when wet!" A giant blue ball of water thrashed and swirled, forming above her.

"Masaru!" shouted Teiko from the stairs. "Shoot her!"

"I'm out of ammo!" said Masaru. "Teiko, get out of here! Get help!" Masaru scrambled backward toward Rini, grabbing her wrists and pulling her into his arms.

"I'm sorry," he said roughly, pressing her head into his shoulder. "Don't look!"

Rini sobbed and grabbed him tight, waiting for the water, waiting for the rush to surround her and swallow her and drown her.

 _Drip. Drip drip_. The sound of droplets in the silence.

Nothing came. Masaru's grip loosened, and Rini turned to where Cin had been just moments before. The blackness pressed in, but it was empty. Cin had vanished.

"Where did she-" Rini began.

"It doesn't matter!" Masaru cut her off, jumping to his feet. He extended both hands, and Rini allowed him to help her stand.

"Now's our chance," he said. "Let's get out of here, fast."


	34. Busted

**Thank you soso much Sn0wk1tty for the awesome review, I'm definitely trying to tie this in with the original SM world and Im happy to hear you are as excited about it as I am! Thanks for keeping me inspired:)**

Act 5/Scene 2: Busted

Cin's misty form whipped up the stairs, through the welcoming hall and to the top the circular room, where it spiraled before being sucked under the crack in the double doors to Poudretteite's penthouse, through the large room and directly down the long neck of the mosaic sugar pot into it's round belly. With her black-gloved hand, Poudretteite daintily placed the lid back on the pot.

Kai said, "You should have let her arrest them!"

"Cin was not about to arrest them," said Poudretteite, her red mouth pursed as she placed the sugar pot back on the tea service. "She was about to destroy them!" On the monitor next to Poudretteite, camera feeds were running from the ballroom, the cylindrical hall, the kitchens, and a night-vision feed ran from the basements where two girls and a guy currently rushed from.

"I warned you about the volatility of the djinn," Kai said, a cat-like smile playing around his mouth.

"Regardless," said Poudretteite, casually waving away Anzen's comment, "Cin served her purpose. We have finally located the true dissidents of my Moon Castle." She padded her touch-screen monitor, and three files appeared side-by-side on the screen.

"Rini, Teiko, Masaru," Poudretteite read.

"They're getting away," Kai said.

"Let them," Poudretteite said. "We know who they are. They can't go far. And I think enough damage has been done for the night. But I'll have to go down to the prayer room to see for myself."

"I suggest installing a security camera in that room while you're at it."

"There shouldn't be a need," Poudretteite said, her bubblegum brows furrowing. "The room is enchanted, and nobody except royalty is allowed to enter."

"Is that what they told you when you first came here?"

"The architect built my Moon Castle over the ruins of some prehistoric kingdom. He told me all sorts of stories about ancient goddesses and secret spells."

Kai laughed, a small, unpleasant sound. "And you believed him?"

"That room they were just in-the ancient prayer room-has always been barred. Even I couldn't get that door to open! Guardian of the Moon or not, this Rini is working with some powerful magic."

"Do you think she's found a way to access Cosmic Power?"

"Impossible!" scoffed Poudretteite. "My Lunar Alpha Shield has kept that destructive force at bay for nearly two decades. How would a child have access to it?"

"She is not a child," said Anzen, "and on Earth, Cosmic Power has a way of popping up, despite our best shielding efforts. It was only a matter of time before somebody found a way of accessing it here."

Poudretteite huffed, and Anzen said, "If you do not stop it, it will spread like a disease."

"I'll send Anzen the files, and we'll get these three rebels into custody. _Without_ destruction, and without causing anymore harm to my civilians or damages to my Moon Base."

"And when that fails?"

"It will not fail!" said Poudretteite, stomping her heel for emphasis, her curls bouncing against her chin.

"Teiko is Anzen's daughter," said Kai. "I highly doubt he will arrest her."

"Anzen is my chief-of-police, and he will not let family ties interfere with his duties!"

Kai shook his head but dropped the subject. Instead he tapped the security feed that showed the ballroom.

"Guests are beginning to leave," he said. He tapped the screen a few more times, adjusting the settings. "The cameras will monitor Rini, Teiko, and Masaru specifically as they make their way back to the living pods. In the meantime, may I escort you to the basements?"

"Very well," said Poudretteite. As they left her penthouse, she motioned for the guard to accompany them as well.


	35. Pink Moon Blaster

Act t/Scene 3: Pink Moon Blaster

Sanae, Ryuu, and Takeshi had their eyes glued to the monitors when Cin's water and Peri's fire powers combined. The explosion reverberated through their headphones, and the screens flashed white before going dark.

"We're blind!" Sanae said, flipping back and forth between Rini and Teiko's blank camera feeds.

"Rini! Teiko! Come in-over!" Masaru adjusted his headset and looked at Sanae. "We're deaf, too," he said.

"Let's get over there!" said Takeshi. He stood and headed for the door. Sanae jumped in front of him, blocking the way.

She said, "You can't go out there, Takeshi, they'll arrest you!"

"I can't just sit here!" said Takeshi. "You saw that explosion! The girls are probably half-buried in wreckage right now, waiting for us to come save them!"

"You don't know that!" said Sanae.

Takeshi said, "Maybe not, but I can't just stay here and hope for the best! Move out of the way, Sanae!"

"No!" she bared her teeth, and Ryuu came to stand next to her.

"Takeshi, sit down," Ryuu said.

"That's your little sister being attacked over there, Ryuu!" said Takeshi. "And your two best friends, Sanae! They could still be alive, if we hurry!"

Ryuu said, "If you leave, you'll compromise all of us!"

"You think I care about us right now?" snarled Takeshi. "I'm worried about them!" He made to shove his way past Ryuu, but Ryuu pushed him back. Takeshi stumbled, then came back at Ryuu with a swift right hook. Ryuu blocked it, but Takeshi landed his left fist in Ryuu's abdomen.

"Oof!"

"Stop it!" screamed Sanae. Ryuu fell to the floor, dragging Takeshi down with him. "Cut it out!"

The boys continued to wrestle, fists flying, and a picture of Teiko's family fell and broke when Takeshi slammed Ryuu into the wall.

"You're destroying Teiko's house!" Sanae shouted, nervously looking around for something to break up the fight.

 _Ping ping ping!_

Sanae's head whipped in the direction of the dining room table, where she had left the empty shell of Diana Droid.

"No way…" The droid's eye screens buzzed blankly. Sanae rushed to the table, stepping around Ryuu and Takeshi as they continued to fight, red-faced and cursing.

"D.D.?" Sanae picked up the droid, which was vibrating. She gently shook it. It's curling antenna pinged, and it's fuzzy eye screens transitioned into ruby-red pupils.

"D.D., you're alive!" Sanae said.

Diana Droid said, "I am not alive. I am a droid, so I am merely functioning." Sanae grinned, holding the droid against her cheek in a hug.

"I need your help, D.D.," said Sanae. "I need you to break up the guys! D.D., go!" She threw the droid at the boys, where it bounced from off of Takeshi's head straight into Ryuu's face.

"Ow!"

"What the _fu_ -D.D.!" Takeshi noticed the droid first. He looked from it to Sanae.

"You fixed it!" Takeshi said. His lip was bleeding and his cheek was swollen. He asked Sanae, "How did you do that?"

"I didn't!" said Sanae. "D.D., how are you working right now? I've been trying to fix you for days!"

"I run on a small cache of Cosmic Power that my creator sealed up inside of me," said Diana Droid. "Some sort of energy wave must have occurred that jumpstarted my system!"

Ryuu, Takeshi, and Sanae all exchanged looks.

"Rini!" Sanae and Ryuu said together. Takeshi jumped to his feet, heading for the door once again.

"I'm going to save her!" he said.

"No, Takeshi, don't you see!" said Sanae. "The Cosmic power that jumpstarted D.D. happened after the explosion. If it came from Rini, than that means she's still fighting!"

"' _If''_ s not good enough!" said Takeshi.

"It came from Rini!" said Ryuu. "I know it did! I believe in her."

Diana Droid's antenna pinged, and she said, "The burst was most likely from Rini. I do not know where else it would have come from."

"Fine." Takeshi slumped down on the couch, a moody silence hovering around him. Sanae ran to get Takeshi a cloth for his lip, and Ryuu went to the bathroom to wash his friend's blood from his knuckles.

Minutes later, the door to Teiko's living pod burst open, and Rini, Teiko, and Masaru hurried into the room, swiftly locking the automatic door behind them.

"You guys are safe!" said Sanae, and she ran forward, wrapping an arm around each of her friends' necks and pulling them close.

"Thank the goddesses!" said Teiko, sighing. She and Rini were both covered in scratches, bruises, and dirt.

"Alright, that's enough love!" Rini said, squirming out of Sanae's headlock. Rini was wearing Masaru's coat over her soiled gown.

Ryuu hugged his sister and Teiko as well, then gave Masaru a solemn nod.

Takeshi rose and said, "What happened over there? Why is Masaru here?"

Teiko said, "Masaru helped us! Cin destroyed Peri and almost destroyed us, but Masaru held her off with his gun!"

"And why did you have a gun!" asked Takeshi, moving so that he stood between Masaru and Rini. Masaru took out the pink weapon, which had glittering roses and stars embellished on the sides.

He said, "The Guardian of the Moon appeared to help me the day that Peri took Sadie. The Guardian seemed out numbered so I made this for her. I didn't know who she was, so I held onto the weapon, hoping to give it to her when I saw her again. I didn't realize.." he looked over at Rini, side-stepping Takeshi.

"You're the Guardian, aren't you, Rini?" said Masaru. "I should have know but-I thought she was a blonde-"

"I wore a wig before," Rini said.

"Don't tell him anything!" said Takeshi. Ryuu and Sanae rounded on Masaru as well, but Rini gently moved them aside.

"Guys, it's okay," said Rini. "Masaru helped us out tonight-he's on our side!"

Masaru said, "If you're the Guardian, Rini, than this is for you." He held the butt of the gun out for her. Rini accepted the weapon, admiring the detail on the sides.

"It's beautiful," Rini said

"I custom built it myself," said Ryuu. "It has a Taser option and a sleep option. I call it the Pink Moon Blaster."

"Masaru…I don't know how to thank you!"

 _Ping ping!_ The familiar noise drew Rini's attention.

"D.D.!" Rini smiled at the droid. "Sanae, you fixed her!"

Sanae shook her head, and Diana Droid said, "I was brought back to life by a surge of Cosmic Power, Rini. I suspect it was from you. We need to know what happened tonight!"

"I don't really know," Rini said, collapsing onto the couch with a sigh and laying down the weapon next to her. Teiko joined her, and she continued, "One moment I was in that room we found with the ruins, and the next I was in space, floating above the Moon Base!"

"That sounds a lot like an odyssey," said Ryuu, and when Rini looked up, Sanae, Masaru, and Takeshi all nodded in agreement.

"What happened while you were in space?" Teiko asked Rini.

"There was a golden-eyed man up there…his name was Helios." Rini's face crinkled as she strained to remember. "He said-he said that-" she laughed then, shaking her head. "He said Poudretteite was an imposter, and that I'm the true princess of the Moon."

Sanae and Teiko exchanged a look, and Teiko quietly said, "What you're talking about, Rini…that's treason."

"What, and harboring fugitives isn't?" Takeshi snapped at Teiko.

"I know it's ridiculous!" said Rini. "It's not like I believe it! That's just what he said. He also said we were in danger here, and he gave me … something … like a brooch or something. He told me it belonged to me and it could help me save everybody."

"Let's see it!" Diana Droid said.

"It fell through my fingers," said Rini, "and landed on the Moon's surface near the Base. I didn't exactly see where."

"I see what's going on," said Takeshi. He jabbed a finger in Masaru's direction and said, "You drugged her, didn't you, Masaru?"

"What!" said Masaru.

"You followed the girls down into the basement and released that chemical that unleashes odysseys!"

"No way would I do that!" said Masaru.

"I don't think he did, Takeshi," said Ryuu, stepping forward between his friend and Masaru.

"Didn't you just hear Rini's story?" said Takeshi. "She was totally hallucinating! I thought I saw that same guy during my odyssey!"

"Yeah, me too," said Ryuu, "but if Masaru released those chemicals down there, than why wasn't Teiko affected?"

"I didn't release anything!" said Masaru.

"He didn't," said Teiko. "All he did was save us from Cin. There wasn't time to do anything else!"

"What did it look like to you then, Teiko? What happened down there?" asked Sanae.

"It looked like we weren't ever going to get out of there!" said Teiko. "All I saw was-I don't know-like a flash, and then Masaru grabbed Rini and we ran from Cin!"

Ryuu said, "Did you find Eternity Main?"

"I think so," said Rini, "but Helios told me we had to first destroy Cin and another djinn called Seirei in order for Eternity Main to fully activate."

"And in order to do that, we would have to sneak back into the Moon Castle to steal and destroy the rest of the tea service!" said Takeshi. "There's no way any of us are getting back in there!"

"We need to focus on finding this brooch that Rini described," said Diana Droid. "That could be our key to accessing her dormant power!"

"How can we even be sure of what I saw?" asked Rini. "It seemed so real but-it could have been a trick of some sort. There might not even be a brooch to find!"

Teiko sighed, laying her head on Rini's shoulder. Sanae broke in, "I think this has been enough for one night. I suggest we all get some sleep and organize our plans rationally after breakfast tomorrow. Teiko, is it still safe to spend the night here?"

"I spoke to dad right before the Moon Ball," said Teiko. "He's still on the case, along with mom. He promised to call before heading home, so we'll be fine here for now."

"I've got to get back," said Masaru. "Rini, will you step outside with me for a minute? I won't keep you long, I promise."

"Sure, just give me a second?" Rini hopped into Teiko's room, leaving the others in the living room. Sanae went to snuggle next to Ryuu in the arm chair, bring D.D. with her. Teiko rose and locked herself into the bathroom with the sound of rushing shower water. Takeshi moved to stand in front of Masaru, his arms crossed over his chest. He was the larger of the two, and he glared down into Masaru's face.

"I never liked you much when you were on the Moon Base," said Takeshi, "and I still don't trust you. Whatever you're planning, you better leave Rini out of it."

Masaru held his ground, and a small, slow grin crawled across his face. He said, "Same old Takeshi! We could use a man like you on Mars. Somebody with a lot more muscle than brains."

Takeshi, red-faced with anger, bit back his response as Rini re-entered the room.

"Ok, Masaru, I'm ready!" Rini had changed into a pastel purple hoodie and tight leggings decorated with stars and hearts. She snatched the gun from the couch and buried it in the deep pocket of her sweatshirt.

"I'll be back in a minute, gang," Rini said as she and Masaru exited the living pod.


	36. Haunted

Act 5/Scene 4: Haunted

"I'm sorry about dragging you into all this," Rini told Masaru as they wondered down the halls. "You weren't, um, exactly suppose to follow me down to the basements."

"I'm glad I did," Masaru said. "Otherwise, you might not be standing here right now."

"Yeah…" Rini said. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"I wanted to know what this Guardian of the Moon façade was about. What are you after?"

"I just want everybody here to be safe. Diana Droid appeared and told me it was my duty to protect everybody."

"I don't know…" said Masaru. "It just seems a little suspicious."

"I felt the same way but-trouble just keeps finding me! I can't avoid it."

"Or _you_ keep finding _it_ ," Masaru gave Rini a long look. "What you're doing is dangerous, and I'm concerned about you."

"Well, now that I have this gun, you shouldn't be worried!"

"But I am. Rini...I really like you."

"I know," Rini said. "You already told me that you like me like a sister."

"No," said Masaru, "I like you-in an entirely different way." Masaru bent down and kissed her mid-step. Rini froze, one foot in the air, her face glowing pink and her eyes wide and focused on the closeness of Masaru-his closed eyes, his soft lips on hers, his scent, still musky even after the basement escapades.

He pulled back, giving Rini a little smile. When she remained unmoving, he said, "I suppose I should have asked first."

 _That was so nice..._

Rini closed her eyes then, and let her lips guide her back in his direction.

She said dreamily, "I don't mind at all," and then his lips were back, his tongue boldly parting her lips and his hand cupping her chin and angling her face upwards toward his.

Rini leaned into him, and they made-out in the hallway for a while, before Masaru put both his hands on either side of her face and gently pulled away. Rini continued to lean forward, wanting more, and his low chuckle had her opening her eyes to stare into his stormy purple ones.

"Rini," said Masaru, "why don't we keep this going at my pod?"

"I can't," Rini said. He moved his hands from her face to her waste, lifting and twirling her in a half-circle so he could press her against the wall.

When he kissed her again, a deep growl rumbled from within him that made Rini's skin quiver.

 _Oh. My. Goddesses._

He pressed against her, and she fiercely pressed back, desperate to keep the kiss going. All too soon he pulled away again.

"C'mon, Rini," he purred, his forehead against hers. "You're driving me crazy."

"Where are you staying at?" Rini asked breathlessly.

"Close to here," said Masaru. "A five minute walk." He grabbed her hand, and she allowed herself to be pulled along. Her heart was pounding against her ribcage, and there was a vivid pulse between her legs that put a spring in each step.

Everything else was a haze as she focused on Masaru, walking in front of her in his tuxedo with his dark purple hair, which was slightly messy from the night's events. When he stopped to kiss her again, she ran her fingers through the silky strands, sighing against him.

He let out another hungry growl and swept her up, holding her against him as he hurried down the hall.

Rini giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck. She looked up at him and said, "I really shouldn't come over-the others will worry..."

"You've been through so much tonight-you deserve somebody who'll make you feel nice. Beside, we're already here!" Masaru grinned at her as the door whisked open. He carried her inside, and she hardly took her eyes off him long enough to take note of her surroundings.

Rini felt the leather couch beneath her, but when Masaru climbed on top of her, he was all she saw in a world of mist. He began to kiss her again, little pecks that left her wanting.

 _Buzzz! Buzzz!_

"My phone," Rini mumbled, reaching for it, but Masaru snatched up her hands and began to kiss her fingers.

 _He's sooo handsome..._

Masaru ran his solid hands down her arms, over the front of her sweatshirt and to the edge of the hem, which he pulled up to reveal Rini's middle. He kissed above her bellybutton, and then below it, lower and lower, until his lips found the pulsing spot between her legs and Rini squeaked-

 _Buzzz! Buzzzz!_ Her phone went off for the second time.

"Don't worry about that, Rini," Masaru whispered, giving her breast a squeeze before moving his right hand between her legs and rubbing his fingers with a pressurize rhythm on top of the tight fabric of her leggings. Then he leaned forward to kiss her some more, his lips in sync to the rhythm of his fingers.

Rini moaned against those lips. They were so soft, so full-she felt as though she had kissed them before…she brushed the fallen strands of his platinum hair from her forehead, and gazed into his golden eyes.

"I've waited centuries for this," he breathed into her ear, moving to kiss along her reddened neck. Rini sighed, offering her neck, her hands raising above her head, her chest pressing forward. "You're finally back with me," he said, and when Rini looked around she saw that they were in space, dark and infinite, silent, and flecked with stars.

"I-" a thrill ran from where his hand pressed between her legs. She lost her words and arched her back even further. A short, intense ripple crested and washed over her, leaving her chest heaving and her cheeks burning, remnants of energy fluttering through her limbs.

"Helios!" she gasped.

"What?" Rini was back in Masaru's living pod on the couch. Masaru raised his eyebrows at her.

"Did you just yell 'Helios'?" he asked.

"He was-I saw-I thought I was in space!" Rini said breathlessly as she pulled her tingling body into a sitting position.

"Wow, was I really that good that you hallucinated just now?" It sounded like a joke, but Masaru wasn't laughing.

"I've been-feeling kind of weird since the Moon Castle," Rini said lamely.

"So Helios, huh? Isn't that space-man that you saw earlier tonight?"

"Yes-but I mean-it's not like that." Rini's face burned as she snatched up her phone. "Teiko keeps calling me," she said. "I think the others are worried-it's been like half an hour!"

"So if it's not like that, then what's it like?" asked Masaru. "Did you really just _see_ him now?"

Rini said, "I don't know what I saw, and I really can't stay. I wasn't even suppose to be gone for this long!" Rini headed toward the door.

Masaru said, "I'm going to walk you back, at least. It's late and I don't want you walking around out there alone. Something is definitely going on with you."

Rini bit her lip. "I don't know what that was tonight, Masaru," she admitted, "but I'm sure you know that I really do like you?"

Masaru was quiet for a minute, before saying, "Oh, yeah? You like me?"

"I've liked you for a really long time," Rini found herself admitting. "You were my first crush, actually, back when you would come over to hang out with Ryuu years ago."

A wily little grin crept across Masaru's face. He said, "I always thought you were pretty cute, too. Sometimes I'd come hang out with Ryuu just to see you!"

Rini flushed. "No way..." she said.

"Really!" said Masaru. "Rini, I know all of this-us-is happening kind of fast and at a weird time, but it feels kind of right, doesn't it? For you and me to be together?"

"It-does," Rini said. He extended a hand to her, and when she reached out to accept it he looped his fingers around hers and lead her down the halls.

 _Helios._ His golden eyes were imprinted on her mind as if ahe had been staring at the sun. Watching her. She shook her head fiercely and hurried to keep pace with Masaru's wide gait.


	37. Standoff

Act 5/Scene 5: Standoff

"She should have been back already!" snapped Takeshi. He was pacing up and down the perimeter of Teiko's living room, drumming his fingers against the wall, the coffee table, whatever was in reach.

"Cut it out, Takeshi!" snapped Sanae. "You're making me nervous!"

 _Ting!_

Everybody's head whipped toward Teiko when her phone beeped.

"Is that from Rini?" Sanae asked as Teiko clicked open her messages.

"No," said Teiko, her face going pink. "Just Dez. He's asking when we can see each other again!"

Sanae rolled her eyes. She said, "Can you call Rini again?"

"But I just did-"

"Please, Teiko? I'm getting worried."

Teiko sighed and dialed, then announced, "No answer. Again."

 _Whiisskkk!_

"About time!" Sanae said, turning toward the open front door. Only it wasn't Rini. Two Base Force Police officers, uniformed and armed, stood in the doorway.

"Mom!" said Teiko. "Dad..."

"So it's true," said Teiko's mom, her face falling as she observed the group sitting in her living room.

"Teiko," said Anzen. "You've been harboring known fugitives! We've been looking for Takeshi and Ryuu for two days now-and they were hiding in our living pod the entire time! Teiko, how could you?"

"Dad, Takeshi and Ryuu are innocent, please let us explain!"

"You yourself are wanted for trespassing within the Moon Castle, along with Rini," Teiko's mom told her. "I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see the video evidence for myself!"

"Please listen, we were trying to help-!"

"There will be plenty of time for you to explain your actions once we have you in custody," Anzen said. "Teiko," his voice cracked, and his eyes were gleaming with tears, "you are under arrest, by order of Poudretteite!"

Teiko's mom said, "Ryuu, Takeshi, we are taking you two as well. And Sanae, you're under arrest for conspiring with wanted criminals!"

"We're not criminals!" Sanae said.

"How do you expect to take all four of us when there are only two of you?" Takeshi asked, standing and crossing his arms.

"We've known all you kids since you were little," said Anzen. "Neither of us want to do this-but you all broke the law, and so we expect you to comply without a fight."

"Come with us to the station," said Teiko's mom. "I promise, once we're there we will get this all worked out."

"Worked out?" said Takeshi. "Just like the time Poudretteite ordered a fire demon throw me into a dungeon cell?" He balled his hands into fists. "I'm not going back there!"

"That was a misunderstanding," said Anzen.

"Or how about the time that same fire demon nearly burned me alive!" said Sanae, going to stand next to Takeshi. She adapted a fighting stance as well.

"The Base Force Police officers are corrupt!" said Ryuu. "We don't believe anything you say. There is no way we are going quietly!"

Teiko's breath became short and shallow as she looked from her three friends to her parents, who were reaching for their weapons.

"Please!" Teiko begged. "Guys! Mom and Dad-there has to be a way we can solve this without violence!"

Teiko's mom said, "Either you four are coming in on your own two feet, or we'll drag you in." She drew out her pistol. "This is full of sleeper darts," she said. "Make your choice. Now!"

"D.D., go!" ordered Takeshi, pointing directly at Teiko's parents.

 _Ping ping ping!_ The camouflaged droid was a shimmering ball of misplaced air as it hurled itself across the room. It knocked the weapon from the female officer's hands, and Ryuu snatched it up.

"Drop it!" Anzen shouted, pointing his weapon at Ryuu the exact same time as Ryuu raised his.

"No, you drop it!" said Ryuu. "You're outnumbered!"

Teiko's mom had grabbed her walkie-talkie during the commotion. "We need backup at living pod #236!" she said.

 _"Copy! Dispatching officers now!_ " crackled the voice over the radio.

When Ryuu moved to point the gun at her as she spoke, Anzen seized his opportunity.

 _Blam!_

Teiko screamed. The dart sunk into Ryuu's shoulder, which he ripped out before collapsing, his weapon landing beside him. Takeshi went for the gun.

"Don't move!" said Anzen.

Sanae said, "D.D.! Get his weapon, too!"

Anzen looked around, squinting his eyes at the camouflaged droid. He somehow saw it coming and dodged the attack.

 _Blam!_

Takeshi had grabbed the gun while Anzen was distracted, sinking a dart into Anzen's neck.

"Daddy, no!" cried Teiko, rushing to her father as he fell to the ground, unconscious. Teiko's mom unholstered a second weapon.

"A direct attack on a Base Force Police officer is a serious offense!" she shouted, pointing the gun at Takeshi and Sanae. "This weapon is the real-deal! No more games! Everybody, HANDS UP!"

 _Fffzzztt!_ Teiko's mom convulsed repeatedly before crumpling to the floor.

"Rini!" said Sanae. Rini and Masaru stood in the open doorway to the living pod.

"What did you do to her!" cried Teiko, grabbing her mother's limp hand.

"It's just the stun setting, she'll be fine," said Masaru, handing the pink weapon back to Rini. "See?" He told Rini. "Just choose the setting and pull the trigger. It's pretty simple."

"There's nothing simple about this," said Rini as she stepped into the room, observing the three unconscious bodies on the ground. "What is going on here?"

"They came to arrest us!" said Sanae.

"Arrest who?"

"All of us! Including you and Teiko. They said there was video evidence of you two trespassing in the Moon Castle!"

"If you were recorded, Rini, than I must be on that video, too!" said Masaru.

"And Cin would be too!" said Sanae. "How can they witness such a dangerous being and still act like _we're_ the threat?"

Rini noticed Teiko on the floor next to her unconscious parents, and when to go put her arms around her friend.

"You okay, Teik?" she asked.

Teiko sniffed and said, "Mom called for backup. You guys should really get out of here!"

"She's right!" said D.D. "We all have to leave, now!"

"But where will we go?" asked Sanae. She was helping Takeshi drag the unconscious Ryuu to his feet.

"The boiler room, where we threw the party!" said Takeshi. "We worked out a path to that room where we can move through the video surveillance's blind spots!"

"That's right!" said Sanae. "You got dozens of people there undetected the night of the party! Let's go!"

Everybody headed toward the door, but Teiko remained behind.

"Let's go, Teiko," said Rini, extending her hand to help her friend stand.

"I can't leave them!" said Teiko, shaking her head. "They're my parents! I need to make sure they'll be okay!"

"Backup is coming any minute!" urged Sanae. "Your parents will be fine, but you'll be in _so_ much trouble if you stay. You'll take the rap for all of us!"

"I don't care about that right now!" Teiko said.

Diana Droid said, "Leaving you behind poses a risk to the whole team!"

"I won't tell them anything about you guys or where you are!" said Teiko.

"You won't mean to," said Takeshi. "But they got my boy Vin to talk last time-and he's one of the toughest guys I know! They have some effective ways to extracting information!"

"My parents wouldn't allow anybody to torture me!" snapped Teiko, catch's Takeshi's drift.

"They're not the ones in charge!" said Diana Droid. "If you get taken in, you'll be handled according to Poudretteite's whim!"

"Teiko, please," said Rini. "If you come with us, we can keep you safe. Help us stop the djinn and restore the Moon Base!"

The sound of many pairs of hurrying feet sounded down the hall.

"Backup is almost here! Last chance!" said Takeshi as he and Sanae left the living pod, dragging Ryuu between them. Masaru moved to take Sanae's place propping Ryuu's side.

With a sigh of frustration, Teiko rubbed her tear-stained cheeks and accepted Rini's hand. They followed the others, who were already rushing down the hall to Takeshi's lead.

 **so many of my scenes end with 'and then they went down the hallway' lol**


	38. Hideout

Act 5/Scene 6: Hideout

Behind Rini was the sound of commotion as the Base Force Police officers reached Teiko's living pod. Rini and her friends hurried away from the noise, entering a tram that was, thankfully, empty. It was still the early morning hours on the Base and first shift had not yet begun.

The group was nearly to the boiler room when the alarm began to sound.

 _WAH! WAH! WAH! WAH!_

The hall Rini and her friends ran down began to flash intermittently with red emergency lights.

"This is really bad, guys!" said Sanae.

"We're here!" said Takeshi. He tried the door to the boiler room with the hand that was not supporting Ryuu. "It's locked!"

Sanae moved over to help prop Ryuu as Takeshi rammed his shoulder into the door, attempting to force it open.

"It won't budge!" Takeshi said, trying again without any luck.

"The Moon Base is back on lockdown!" said Sanae.

"Rini, you try the door!" said Teiko.

"There's no way," Takeshi scoffed, even as he stood aside for Rini. She placed her hand on the handle, swinging it open effortlessly.

"How the hell-" Takeshi said.

"Yeah, that's been working a lot lately," admitted Rini as they hurried inside.

"That's because this Moon Base is linked to you, Rini!" said Diana Droid. "You are the Guardian and the long lost Moon Princess! Don't you believe that by now?"

"Some of it-I mean-I'm starting to," Rini admitted as she closed the door, the others now safely inside. "There are still so many unanswered questions. D.D., will you light this place up?"

Diana Droid's antenna and eye screens flashed, illuminating the boiler room. It looked a lot different than it had the night of the party. Devoid of music and people dancing, the room seemed larger, emptier, and colder. Water _drip drip dripped_ from one of the shadowy corners that the droid's light did not reach.

Rini briskly rubbed the goosebumps on her arms as she walked over to where Takeshi and Masaru had sat Ryuu down, propping him up against the wall.

"Do you think he's okay?" Sanae asked, walking up besides Rini. Masaru was crouched next to Ryuu, checking his pulse on his wrist and on his neck, respectively.

"He'll be fine," Masaru announced. He reached over and smacked Ryuu across the face, hard.

"Hey!" yelled Sanae. Ryuu's eyelids fluttered opened.

"Ryuu!" Sanae knelt down so she could wrap her arms around his neck. Ryuu gingerly touched his cheek and asked, "What happened?"

"You took a sleeper dart to the arm," said Takeshi.

"I remember that," Ryuu said, absent-mindedly rubbing his affected arm. "But why are we in the boiler room?"

"Masaru and Takeshi shot both my parents!" said Teiko.

"What!" said Ryuu, staring at the two men on either side of him.

Sanae said, "Not with bullets. They used another sleeper dart and a Tazer."

"Now we're all hiding from the police!" Teiko continued. She began to cry. "This is awful! We should turn ourselves in! They'll catch us eventually, anyway!"

"Teiko…" Rini walked toward her friend, a sympathetic hand outstretched.

"Get away!" snapped Teiko. "This is all your fault, Rini! You, and these stupid Guardian of the Moon games you keep playing! All you're doing is trying to get us killed!"

"That's enough!" snapped Sanae. "You've seen what terrible power Poudretteite's djinn hold! They could destroy this entire Base at Poudretteite's whim! Do you really want to continue living under such a threat?"

"I've lived here my whole life and never felt threatened-until now!" Teiko said. "Besides, I've been Placed on Venus, so I won't even be living here much longer! Although I doubt they'll let me go to Venus now that I'm a fugitive!"

Teiko spun on her heel and stalked off to a shadowy corner of the boiler room, her sniffs echoing back to the others. Rini saw the soft glow of her cell phone illuminate her face and began to walk toward her.

A hand on her shoulder stopped her. It was Masaru. "Just give her a minute," he said quietly. "This stuff-it's new to me, too. It takes a second to adjust to being a criminal."

"None of what is happening was ever my intent!" Rini insisted, tears starting in her own eyes. "How did the police even find us?"

"My guess is they tracked you back from the Moon Castle," said Ryuu.

Masaru said, "But there weren't any cameras?"

"There are, though!" said Diana Droid. "They're carefully hidden all throughout the Moon Castle. Are you telling me you went over there without a disguise, Rini!"

"We were invited to the Moon Ball, and decided to use the opportunity to look for Eternity Main," mumbled Rini. "It was the last order you had given us before Peri destroyed you!"

"We could have really used your help, D.D.," Sanae admitted.

"Well, I'm here now," said the droid. "What we need to focus on is finding this magical locket that Rini described! Are you sure you don't remember where it fell?"

Rini thought back, but her memory was completely overrun by a pair of golden eyes, bright as sunshine, warming her face.

"Er-I don't," she said, biting her lip. "But now that I think about it, the brooch looked kind of familiar. I think I've seen it on the Base somewhere before."

"Where!" Diana Droid asked, it's antenna going rigid with attention.

"I think-on some table...surrounded by lots of other mechanical parts and things." Rini squeezed her eyes shut, but that only caused the hazy memory to disappear. "I'm not sure-maybe in the mechanics division at school, or at the Lunar Market?"

"This is good!" said Diana Droid. "We'll search those areas, and hopefully find it!"

Sanae said, "You want us to leave? When all the police are looking for us, and the Base is on lockdown?!"

"We can't just stay down here!" Diana Droid said.

"D.D.'s right," said Masaru. "In the Red War, if you didn't keep moving, you were as good as dead."

"Nobody is going to die here," Takeshi said, glaring at Masaru. "But we will most definitely be thrown into prison! Do you have any soldier-boy tips on avoiding that?"

"We have to find disguises, and move fast," said Masaru. "Also, we should go in teams of two of three. We can cover more ground, and it will be less suspicious."

"I vote D.D. goes!" Ryuu said from where he sat on the ground. "It can just go invisible and check around for us!"

"It's a camouflage, not complete invisibility," Rini said. "Anzen saw it back at the living pods, remember? For all we know, he'll have the police looking for odd sightings."

"Besides," said Masaru, "what if D.D. finds the locket? How would it bring it back!"

"If D.D. finds it then we'll know where to go!" Ryuu said. "That's a way better plan than poking around a locked-down Base while the police are hunting us!"

 _Knock knock knock!_

The sound of knuckles again aluminum had the group jerking their heads towards the door in unison.

"Who the hell is that!" whispered Sanae, her eyes wide.

"It's for me," came a quiet voice. Teiko had left her shadowy corner and was heading straight for the door, fiercely rubbing her tear-stained cheeks. "It's Dez. I told him where to find me."

"Why the hell would you do that!" said Ryuu, Takeshi, Masaru, and Rini. Teiko glared at them all.

"I'm done with you guys," she said. "Rini, Teiko-how dare you drag me into this mess! I'm having Dez fly me to Venus tomorrow, where I still might be able to salvage a life for myself!"

"Teiko, please!" said Rini. "I'll fix everything, I promise you! Just give me a little more time!"

"No way am I trusting you ever again, Rini!"

"Teiko, don't open that door!" said Masaru. He rushed forward to stop her as he spoke, but it was too late.

Teiko pushed it opened, revealing Dez, with his turquoise hair spiking up between his pilot's goggles.

"Dez!" said Teiko, but something was wrong. His arm was twisted behind his back, and his face looked flush with pain.

"There you guys are," a feminine voice purred. Kotori stepped out from behind Dez's tall frame, careful to keep his arm locked painfully behind him. She wore a black spandex bodysuit and her hair was tied up out of her face in a high ponytail.

"I should have known to check the boiler room," she said.


	39. Searching

Act 5/Scene 7: Searching

"Kotori!" said Masaru. Kotori's vivid green eyes locked onto his face, narrowing.

"When I saw you on the security monitors with the rest of the rebels, Masaru, I could hardly believe it," she said. "You went to war for our side. And _now_ you're deciding to betray us?"

"I'm not betraying anyone! Look around you, Kotori!" said Masaru. "Look who's here! We're all Moon Base residents, and we are trying to protect our friends and family against Poudretteite and her djinn!"

Sanae said, "Kotori, you were there when Peri practically burned down the arena! Everything we've done has been to stop tragedies like that from happening!"

"I've been ordered to bring you all to justice in front of Princess Poudretteite," said Kotori, "not listen to your excuses! Now, get moving, all of you!" She yanked Dez's arm higher, and he yelled through his gritted teeth.

"Dez has nothing to do with this!" said Teiko. "Please, let him go!"

"He'll get released _after_ I get the six of you to the Moon Castle," said Kotori.

"We aren't going anywhere with you!" said Masaru. He snatched the Pink Moon Blaster from Rini's hand, pointing the barrel directly at Kotori, who ducked behind Dez.

"Don't!" screamed Rini and Teiko together even as Masaru pulled the trigger.

 _Blam!_ A single sleeper dart buried itself into Dez's chest. Dez's eyes rolled up into his skull, and he collapsed backward onto Kotori, who struggled to prop up the dead weight.

Masaru kept the gun carefully aimed in Kotori's direction. "Now where will you hide?" he said.

"I don't need to hide!" said Kotori. She used her own weight to launch Dez's body across the floor, straight at Masaru. He caught the other man, quickly moving to lower him to the floor, and that distraction was all Kotori needed. She spun, sending the momentum to her foot before colliding it against Masaru's face. Masaru yelled on impact, dropping Dez, the Pink Moon Blaster flying from his grip and clattering across the floor, where it spun to a stop near Takeshi.

Kotori and Takeshi both dove for the gun, Takeshi earning a knee to the gut when he picked up the weapon first. He stumbled back, gasping for breath, and his aim shook as he pointed the barrel at Kotori.

He wheezed, "Don't mo-"

Kotori pounced on him before he could finish, attempting to wrestle the gun from his grip. Takeshi, even without wind in his lungs, did not relinquish the weapon. He formed a fist with his free hand and aimed the heavy punch at Kotori, forcing her to leap backward. Masaru was waiting to grab her, but Kotori deftly flipped him over her shoulder and sent him flying into Takeshi. The men collided, both crashing together onto the floor near Dez.

Rini stepped forward next, her guard up and her stance loose. Kotori laughed.

"I heard a rumor that you're the Guardian of the Moon," Kotori said, her eyes traveling from Rini's pigtails down to her sneakers, then back up. "Gotta say, I'm a little disappointed-I was hoping for a more formidable opponent!"

"Don't worry," said Rini, "I've got a few tricks up my sleeve. D.D.! Shield her in!"

The opalescent barrier flashed into place, and when Kotori lunged for Rini the enchantment bounced her backward.

"What is this!" demanded Kotori, banging her fists against the barrier that surrounded her on all sides.

"The shield won't hold!" Diana Droid warned as it hovered around Rini's shoulders. "My powers are even weaker than they used to be!"

Rini ran to where the dazed Takeshi was struggling to stand. She tried to snatch her Pink Moon Blaster, but Takeshi held it out of her reach.

"Give me the Blaster, Takeshi!" Rini demanded.

"I've got this under control, Rini," Takeshi said. He had a new bruise forming next to the one Ryuu had given him earlier. He spun the Blaster's settings dial and aimed the weapon at Kotori.

"Go to sleep," he said.

 _Bam!_ A bullet exploded from the barrel and shot toward Kotori, but the droid's shield stopped it mid-flight. The bullet _clink clinked_ to the floor and rolled to a stop next to Rini's foot. The bullet was real.

"Wrong setting!" Rini snapped.

"Oh, oops," said Takeshi. When he lowered the gun to examine the dial more closely, Rini angrily grabbed it away from him.

"The shield is faltering!" Diana Droid yelled. The opalescent barrier flickered before fading entirely. Rini switched the Blaster to the "stun" setting, pointing it at Kotori and squeezing the trigger as the blonde girl lunged at her.

 _Fffffssstt_! Kotori's body seized against the Tazer's effects before crumpling to the floor. Hey eyelids were fluttering and her limbs twitched with residual electricity.

"Masaru, Takeshi, let's get her tied up!" Rini ordered, and together the three of them managed to secure Kotori to one of the beams in the boiler room.

"Somebody might come along for her soon!" said Rini. "We're running out of time!"

"I may have just bought us some!" said Ryuu. He was still propped against the wall of the boiler room, but he had managed to grab his laptop. The monitor highlighted his features in flashing electric blue as his fingers flew across the keyboard.

"I'm shutting down the majority of the security camera feeds!" Ryuu said. "This should give you guys enough time to search for the locket undetected, but only if you split up and go now!"

"I'll go," said Masaru.

" _I'll_ go," Takeshi said, walking over to stand next to Rini. "Somebody should stay and guard Kotori."

"Teiko and I can do that," said Ryuu. When Sanae raised an eyebrow, Ryuu explained, "Dez is still recovering, and Teiko's been through a lot today. Sanae, they'll need you to get into the mechanics department at school."

"Right," mumbled Sanae.

"Alright!" pinged Diana Droid. "Let's move quickly! Rini and Masaru, you two will need to swing by the Lunar Market-"

"I know the Lunar Market better than Masaru!" said Takeshi. Everybody stared at him. "Er...I can search there. With Rini."

"Fine!" said Diana Droid. "I'll come with you two. Masaru and Sanae can search the school!"

"I'm not sure how long I can keep these cameras off for!" Ryuu said. "Somebody on the other end is fighting my code, so go as fast as you can!"

"We'll meet back here as soon as possible, guys," said Rini, walking outside the boiler room with Takeshi, Masaru, and Sanae, and closing the door carefully behind her.

"Rini," Masaru gently grabbed her arm before she could walk away, "be careful." He drew her close and kissed her. Rini's cheeks bloomed like two roses.

"You, too," she said. The five split, two and two with Diana Droid hovering after Rini and Takeshi as they hurried toward the hanger.

"I don't know what you see in him," grumbled Takeshi. The two had reached the first floor and were waiting for a tram. There was nobody around.

"He's a soldier," Rini said. "He's brave and strong-and he's got incredible hair! What's not to like?"

"He was a cocky douche in school," said Takeshi. "Nobody really liked him."

"You forget," said Rini, "I'm only one year behind you guys. I remember a lot of people liking Masaru."

 _Ding!_ An empty tram arrived, and the two stepped inside. There was a security camera bolted to the ceiling of the tram, and Rini gave it an uneasy look.

 _I hope Ryuu is still managing to keep the feeds offline!_

"Sure, a lot of silly girls liked Masaru, maybe," Takeshi was saying, "but nobody else could stand him!"

"I actually remember you being pretty good friends with Masaru," Rini said.

"A lot of things change once school ends," said Takeshi. "Let's see how well you, Sanae, and Teiko are doing this time next year!"

Rini said, "With everything that's happening, I doubt Teiko'll even be my friend after tonight!" Rini sighed, and the tram came to a stop.

 _Ding!_

"We're here," she said as the doors _whissssked_ open.

"Let's go," said Takeshi.

"The Base is so eerie during lockdown!" Rini whispered as the two entered the spacious hanger. "Looks like most of the vendors have already cleared out!" A few spaceships were scattered about, but there were no people, no merchandize. Rini jogged to where the mechanics vendor had been just a few days earlier, selling odds and ends on the table in front of his ship. There was hardly a trace left.

"The Moon Festival is over with," said Takeshi, "as well as Placements. There's not many reasons left for anybody to stick around this barren Moon."

Rini sighed, shifting around some junk on the ground with the toe of her sneaker. A bolt, a broken basket handle, a piece of thick glass.

"Why did you choose to stay here?" Rini asked suddenly, eyeing Takeshi. "If you were good enough to get hired as a Base Force Police Officer, than you had to be good enough to be a soldier. Why didn't you leave, like Masaru?"

Takeshi said, "There were a lot of reasons I chose to stay."

"That's so vague!"

"The Moon Base is my home…"

Rini rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. It's my home, too, but that doesn't mean I'm about to stay here forever. You're going to have to come up with a better excuse than that!"

"Rini, I-I stayed because of you."

Rini furrowed her brows in confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"Rini, I-Rini, get down!"

Rini gasped as Takeshi suddenly pulled her into the dark alley between two spaceships, covering her mouth with his hand.

" _Shhhhh!_ " he warned. Diana Droid activated her cloaking mechanism, and then Rini felt it. The air had become misty and cold, and she heard the unmistakable march of approaching footsteps. The sounds grew nearer, and Rini struggled to remain quiet as a group of ten or more guards marched past their hiding spot. She craned her neck to stare at Takeshi, and when he gently removed his hand from her mouth she whispered-

"The Moon Castle guards! What are they doing here? The Moon Base is police jurisdiction!"

Takeshi tapped his finger to his lips in warning, then pointed to where the guards had stopped just a few dozen feet away from their hiding spot. The mist swirled, growing thicker until it became corporeal, transforming into-

"Cin!" hissed Rini. The djinn walked among the guards, her curves jiggling and her metal coin bikini tinkling with every step she took.

"Does anybody have any good news?" Cin bared her teeth at the guards, her icy eyes flashing. "I'm waiting!"

"No sign of the rebels," said one guard. "But we know they are hiding somewhere on the Moon Base!"

Another guard said, "There's been no sign of Kotori, either. We think she was compromised!"

"Have you checked the security feeds?" asked Cin. "You can track Kotori based on where she was last seen."

"The feeds haven't been working properly," one guard said. "We believe the rebels are tampering with the controls."

"Then keep searching!" snapped Cin. "I cannot report to Poudretteite empty-handed!" She waved her arm and the guards dispersed in different directions.

Cin peered about the room, her ponytail floating toward the ceiling as she took in her surroundings. She narrowed her eyes at the shadowy alley where Rini and Takeshi hid, then took a step toward them, and another. Rini shrank back against Takeshi, shaking.

"Cin!" a guard ran back toward the djinn. "A suspicious group has been reported heading toward the school!"

"Hm," Cin gave the alley one last thoughtful look before saying, "let's go, then." She disappeared into a shimmer of mist that quickly snaked from the hanger, the guard quickly running after her.

Rini grasped Takeshi's hand and asked, "Do you think they've discovered Sanae and Masaru?"

"Unfortunately, it's very likely," said Diana Droid.

Takeshi glared at the droid before returning his gaze to Rini. He gripped her hand back and said, "Rini, we don't know, and we can't just wait around here to find out or they could get us, too. There's nothing for us in the hanger-so let's get out of here!"

Rini nodded, and together they left their hiding spot, racing from the hanger and entering the maze of hallways that connected the living pods.

"Where are you going, Rini?" Takeshi demanded as she veered down the halls. "Slow down! The tram platform is this way!"

Diana Droid caught up with Rini, hovering with her as she ran. It said, "If you're going home, I hope you are prepared for the worst!"

"Don't say things like that, D.D.!" Rini huffed between breaths. She skidded to a halt in front of living pod #109. The retinal scan on the door beeped, confirming her ruby iris, and the rounded door whisked upward.

"Mom?" Rini yelled, entering the living pod. "Dad!" She rushed into the kitchen, where she saw scattered porcelain shards littering the linoleum floor.

"Dad's favorite mug!" Rini gasped, examining a piece.

"Rini…" Diana Droid's voice trailed in from the converted dining room. Rini ran into the room, where her mother's infirmary equipment beeped and flashed, intermittently lighting the darkened space.

"Mom..." the bed in the room was empty and cold. Rini placed her hands over her mouth in shock, tears filling her eyes. A heavy hand on her shoulder had her spinning around, but it was only Takeshi. Rini let out a sob and allowed him to pull her close. She buried her face against his shoulder.

"They're gone!" she cried. "Mom doesn't leave this room, ever! Takeshi, somebody took my parents!"


	40. Transformation

**thanks for the super cool review, here is a longer scene just for you! I have officially started this trimester as a full-time student but i am going to try my best to keep the updates coming :) :)**

Act 5/Scene 8: Transformation

"Over here!" said Diana Droid, hovering near the bedside table. "There's a note!"

Rini scrubbed the tears from her cheeks as she crossed the room to snatch the note. It read:

 _Guardian of the Moon, turn yourself in and your parents will be returned safely to their living pod and normal lives._

Takeshi had read the note over her shoulder. "Don't even think about turning yourself in," he growled at her.

"I don't have a choice!" Rini said. "We didn't find the locket, so I can't power up and fight Poudretteite's army like I planned! Now this is the only way."

"Don't give up hope!" said Diana Droid. "Sanae and Masaru are checking the school, so it's possible that they've located the locket."

"Yeah," said Takeshi, "let's hurry back to the boiler room to find out!"

Rini had taken out her phone and was dialing Sanae's number.

"Don't do that!" said Takeshi. "Poudretteite probably has the wires tapped!" He tried to snatch the phone from Rini, but she avoided him.

"Hello?" came Sanae's voice over the phone.

"Sanae! Any luck?"

"Not yet-" her voice crackled and fizzed with static, "-still looking-couple classrooms we haven't checked-"

"Forget about that!" said Rini. "Cin is heading toward the school. You two need to get out of there!"

The static increased, and Sanae's response was lost in the white noise.

"Hello!" Rini yelled into the phone.

 _Bleep._ The line had gone dead.

"Dammit!" Rini said, "Takeshi, give me your phone!"

"Mine's dead, too," he said, showing her the phone's blank face. "The police must have shut down all communication!"

"I hope Sanae heard me," said Rini as she shoved her phone deep into her pocket. "I have such a bad feeling about this…"

"Rini, we have to get moving, now!" Takeshi stood by the door with his arms crossed.

"Right," Rini said. They exited living pod #109, the near-invisible Diana Droid hovering around Rini's shoulders as they hurried back through the halls. The living pods were eerily silent. The three hopped an empty tram and soon found their way back to the basements.

Inside, Ryuu sat where they had left him-busily typing on his laptop, his face etched with concentration.

"Look who's finally back," said Kotori. She was awake, still bound to a cement beam and glaring daggers as Rini and Takeshi hustled into the room. Takeshi secured the automatic door behind them.

"Untie me now, you stupid, frumpy bunny!" Kotori snapped at Rini. Rini ignored her, taking in the damp, shadowy room. Something was wrong.

"Where's Teiko?" Rini asked Ryuu. "And Dez?"

"They left," said Ryuu. "I couldn't stop them both."

"You barely even tried!" sneered Kotori.

Ryuu said, "I'm a little busy trying to keep the enemy blind over here!"

"Communication is down," said Rini, tossing her useless phone down next to Ryuu, "and Cin and the Moon Castle guards are swarming all over the Base." Ryuu's eyebrows rose.

"I've never seen Moon Castle guards on the Base before!" he muttered.

Kotori said, "See how much trouble you guys are causing!"

"Shut up!" Takeshi snapped, but Kotori just continued-

"It's all over for you guys! Just turn yourselves in and let the rest of the us get back to our normal lives."

Rini went to sit on the cold floor next to her brother, viewing the computer screen. She said, "I'm worried about the others. Can you locate them over the security monitors?"

Ryuu said, "If I fix the monitors than that means the enemy will be able to see them, too."

"Just do it," said Rini. "Quickly, though!"

Ryuu went to work repairing the codes, and soon he had the monitors properly functioning. Rini snatched the computer from her brother, quickly skimming through the camera feeds.

"Hey!" snapped Ryuu, but Rini dismissed him with a wave of her hand.

"There!" she said, stopping on a feed from the Moon Base hanger. It showed Teiko and Dez swarmed by Moon Castle guards, their hands cuffed behind their backs.

"Shit!" said Takeshi, craning his neck to see the monitor. "They've got them!"

Kotori said, "It's only a matter of time now, before your friends are questioned and Poudretteite finds out where you're hiding!"

"Shut up!" Takeshi said again, at the same time as Rini said, "Teiko would never give us up, no matter how mad she was!"

"Are you sure about that?" Kotori sneered. Rini didn't respond. She was already flipping through the security feeds from the school.

"Oh, no!" she stopped on a feed that showed Sanae and Masaru, both bound by the enchanted water-ropes that Cin controlled. The djinn herself looked into the security feed and grinned, as if she knew who was watching. Rini slammed the laptop closed.

"They've got almost everyone!" she said, standing up. "I have to turn myself in!"

"No!" said Takeshi, moving to stand in front of the door.

Diana Droid said, "If you do that, than all will be lost!"

"Kotori's right-it's only a matter of time before they find us!" said Rini. "And then they'll have Ryuu and Takeshi as well! If I turn myself in, at least I'll be able to save the two of you!"

Ryuu stood and moved next to Takeshi, blocking the door. "We're not going to let you leave, Rini. We'll find another way."

"There is no other way!" Rini insisted. She raised a hand above her head and yelled, "Diana Droid, shield them in!"

"Rini, I do _not_ approve!" Diana Droid said, even as an opalescent barrier appeared around the boys. It flashed a few times before disappearing.

"My power reserve is completely drained!" the droid said. "Thank the goddesses! Rini, listen to some sense, we need you here with us!"

"No way!" Rini said. "I'm sorry about this guys-" she took out her Pink Moon Blaster, "but I _really_ need you two to get out of my way!"

"Rini, don't even think about it!" Takeshi said, advancing on her. She pointed the weapon at him, her aim shaking. When she tightened her finger around the trigger, Ryuu's foot flew in from the side and knocked the weapon from her grip. Rini watched it hit the ground and spin away into the shadows of the boiler room.

 _Time for plan B!_ Rini turned and sprinted toward Kotori, sliding down next to her and fumbling with her ropes.

"Rini!" Takeshi was heading right for her. "What do you think you're doing-!"

The ropes fell away, and Kotori sprang up besides Rini, intercepting Takeshi's grab and easily tossing him in an arc. His yell turned into a groan when he smashed into the floor. He lay there, stunned, and Kotori turned toward the advancing Ryuu. She dodged his fists and kicked his feet out from under him.

"Let's go!" Kotori grabbed Rini's wrist and pulled her toward the door.

"Rini, stop!" Ryuu was back on his feet as the automatic door _whooooshed_ open. Kotori knocked him back with a square kick to the ribs, and Ryuu sunk down hard on one knee, the air wheezing from his lungs.

"I'm sorry!" Rini yelled over her shoulder as the two rushed from the room. Diana Droid cloak herself and sped silently after the two girls.

"Ryuu better not be hurt!" Rini said to Kotori as they raced up the stairs to the first level.

"Shut up and keep moving!" Kotori said. They ran until they hit the tram platform. Rini jerked her wrist from Kotori's grip.

"Get on the tram!" Kotori said as the tram pulled up to the platform. She circled Rini, ready to spring into action.

"I'm going!" Rini said, walking into the empty tram. "Obviously, I'm turning myself in! I freed you on purpose, in case you didn't notice!"

Kotori followed Rini onto the tram, typing a code into the small control panel. The doors slid shut and the tram lurched into motion.

There was movement in the corner of Rini's eye, and she turned to see the camouflaged Diana Droid floating around the top right corner of the tram. She glared at the spot, and Kotori noticed and turned to look-

"Kotori, you owe me a favor," Rini said, pulling the other girl's attention away from the cloaked droid.

"I don't owe you anything," said Kotori.

"I freed you, and I'll tell Poudretteite that you caught me," said Rini, "but don't tell them where Ryuu and Takeshi are." Rini felt the tram veer off in the direction of the Moon Castle, and added, "Please."

Kotori glared at Rini, her emerald eyes cold as ice. Just as the tram began to slow, Kotori said, "Fine. Those two are more of a danger to themselves than anybody else, anyways."

"Thank you," Rini mumbled. Kotori was still staring at her.

"What?" Rini said. The tram slid to a halt, and Kotori remained silent, moving her gaze to the doors as they opened. Rini immediately recognized the Moon Castle's foyer, which was filled with heavily armed, black-clad guards.

"A bit excessive, isn't it?" Rini said. Kotori wrenched Rini's arm behind her back and led her off of the tram.

"Hands where we can see them!" a guard snapped at Rini. His face was completely obscured by his black visor. Rini rolled her eyes back toward Kotori, who kept a firm grip on her.

"Let her go!" ordered the guard, "we've got her from here."

" _I_ apprehended the criminal," said Kotori cooley, " _I'm_ the one that gets to turn her in." She and the guard glared at each other. The guard fiddled with his weapon ominously, but when Kotori didn't back down he said-

"Fine." He motioned to another guard, who handed Kotori a pair of handcuffs. Kotori wrestled Rini's wrists in front of her before slapping on the handcuffs.

"Move," Kotori ordered, shoving Rini from behind. Rini shot the blonde girl a deadly glare over her shoulder before walking forward. From the corner of her eye, Rini watched the shimmery patch of movement that was the cloaked Diana Droid. She hoped nobody else would notice the oddity.

Guards walked in front of her and flanked her on either side. They lined the halls as well, each with a weapon at the ready, their faceless helmets following the little pink-haired criminal as she walked past them.

The group entered the ballroom, their many footsteps echoing against the marble floor and around the room, which seemed larger and emptier without the decorations, lively music, and merry guests from the Moon Ball. Pale, late morning sunlight streamed in through the stained glass windows, and Rini stared at each of the goddesses as she was marched past. She now recognized the goddess of Mercury, with her short blue hair and silver harp…the next window depicted a raven-haired goddess surrounded by fire, and the next, a smiling goddess in white and yellow robes, her long golden hair tied back with a bright red ribbon. The final goddess stood against a forest green backdrop, crowned by a wreath of oak leaves. Then they were out of the ballroom, and entering the cylindrical hall.

Rini had never seen the hall in the light of day. It was so much taller than it had appeared in the dim candlelight during the Moon Ball, stretching several stories up. She followed the winding spiral staircase up and up, to the top, and gasped out loud when her eyes reached the mural of the goddess on the ceiling.

Silver hair, blue eyes, white feathered wings. _She's so beautiful! But her smile is...sad, somehow..._

 _Click_. The sound came from inside of Rini, like a key in a lock, and there was a flash behind her eyes-a blinding memory of rainbow light, in the heart of the light, a woman-the goddess in the painting, her crystal-clear blue eyes focused on the heavens above, tears spilling down those rounded cheeks. Her brow was set with determination, and her wings spread wide as she prepared to fly.

 _Don't go!_ The scream ricochet around Rini's skull. The goddess closed her eyes, stretching her arms above her before she shot up, up, up into the sky, taking the rainbow light with her-

" _No_!" Rini sobbed, lurching forwards, stumbling and falling to her knees on the hard marble floor. Her heart ached as though it were ripping in two.

"Get up!" snapped Kotori, and the familiar voice brought Rini back into the cylindrical hall, where the guards had halted, their weapons ready and their attention on Rini, the helmeted faces unreadable. Kotori gripped the back of Rini's hoodie, hauling her to her feet.

"What's wrong with you!" she hissed. Rini didn't respond, and continued to walk forward, trying to ignore her own trembling and blinking the tears from her eyes.

 _What was that! A vision? It felt so real-I felt so sad...so hopeless. I felt like I knew that goddess, but I couldn't possibly...Who is she?_

The party had begun ascending the glass staircase, and Rini snuck another peek at the goddess on the ceiling. She had a crescent moon symbol on her forehead, and it reminded Rini of the hologram she had encountered in the ruins-Queen Serenity…

 _Serenity_. The name seemed right, even though Rini knew the woman painted above was different than the purple-haired one she had met last night.

They reached the penthouse at the top of the spiraling staircase. When they entered, Rini recognized Poudretteite from the Moon Ball. The princess was dressed in powder pink checkers and lace, and her hat had a matching bow tied around it. Baby blue eyes watched Rini with a cunning focus from beneath the hat's wide brim.

Cin stood next to Poudretteite, her eyes narrowing to slits as Kotori entered the room. Kai was there too, greeting his daughter with a broad smile.

"Congratulations, Kotori." Poudretteite's sing-song voice chimed around the room. "You have certainly proven yourself an invaluable asset to the crown, time and again. This service will not go unrewarded."

Beside Rini, Kotori gave Poudretteite a short but deep bow. Poudretteite switched her attention to Rini, her curls brushing against her delicate chin.

"Guardian of the Moon," said Poudretteite. "Rini." Rini's ruby irises met Poudretteite's, and Rini was careful to keep her chin up and her face blank.

Poudretteite continued, "You have broken into my Moon Castle multiple times, you have injured my guards and you have destroyed my djinn, Peri. You have incited others to join your little rebellion as well. Tell me why."

"First, I want you to let my friends and family go!"

Cin and Kai both advanced a step, and the guard next to Rini shoved her slightly with his weapon.

"Answer the question!" the guard growled. Poudretteite held up a hand to Cin and Kai, continuing to hold her calm, focused gaze on Rini's face expectantly.

Rini said, "Peri and Cin are spreading fear and chaos among the Moon Base residents, and I was trying to stop them!"

"Nonsense," said Poudretteite. "My djinn have helped to build this world on the Moon. They are completely under my control."

"Then _you_ are the cause of the chaos!" said Rini.

Again, Poudretteite lifted a hand to stave off the remarks of her comrades. To Rini she said, "This is my Moon, and I have no desire to see it destroyed. Tell me, Rini, who has been feeding you these lies?"

Rini's eyes flashed up, looking for Diana Droid, but it wasn't anywhere that Rini could see.

"They aren't lies!" said Rini. "A dangerous force is threatening this Base!"

"Indeed it is," said Poudretteite. "Tell me, Rini, how did you incite the odyssey a week ago?"

"I had nothing to do with that!"

"Ah," said Poudretteite thoughtfully. "And tell me, how is it that you were able to enter the ruins last night?"

"I don't know.." Rini faltered, "I just-opened the door!"

"I see. I have one more little question for you, Rini." A pert smile, like a perfect cherry. "What do you know about Cosmic Power?"

Rini breathed through her nose, studying Poudretteite, trying to weigh the question. She said, "It's a force for good, and it can help us to save and protect life here on the Moon!"

Poudretteite sighed, and gave Rini a small, disapproving shake of her head. "You have been tragically misinformed, little dissident. There will be dire consequences for your actions, and we are going to ask you many more questions in the very near future, so please, carefully consider your answers in the time between now and then."

"What about my family!" said Rini. "And my friends!"

"Your family will be fine. Your friends have charges to face as well, but they too will be treated appropriately. As will you, Rini. I can see you are sorely in need of rehabilitation. Rest assured, I will personally see to it that you'll get the help you need."

"That's too kind of you, Poudretteite," said Kai. His midnight eyes settled on Rini, narrowing as he said, "On Earth, we do not treat our criminals to such empathy."

"She is just barely reaching womanhood," said Poudretteite. "It is a difficult time in every girl's life. Kotori, if you wouldn't mind escorting Rini to the dungeons?" Kotori bowed again before grabbing Rini's arm to leading her back the way they had come. From behind her, Rini heard Kai say-

"Send Cin instead! The sooner we get answers, the sooner we can-!"

"Do not question my orders, Kai," Poudretteite cut in, "unless you wish to share a cell wall with our little rebel?"

A guard closed the door to Poudretteite's penthouse as the girls exited the room, cutting off Kai's response. Kotori lead Rini back down the stairs, and even though she avoided looking at the mural above her, Rini could have sworn she felt thew goddess watching her as she was lead out of the room.

In the next room, a guard unlocked a metal fence and the small party walked down, down into a dimly lit basement that was damp and cold. The hall was lined with empty, open cells, and Kotori shoved Rini roughly into one, slamming the door behind her and clicking the lock into place. The two girls stared at each other for a brief moment through the small, barred window, and then Kotori left, taking the guards with her. Far above her, Rini heard the creak and slam of the metal fence.

 _ping ping ping_

The sound was quiet and came from outside of the cell. Diana Droid shed her camouflage, her eye screens appearing in the small window where Kotori's had been not two minutes before. They cast a pale, gentle glow on Rini in her dank cell.

The droid whispered, "This is the same cell that they used to lock up Takeshi!"

"How did you get him out?" Rini asked.

"It was different," said Diana Droid. "I had managed to keep the door from shutting, and Anzen had left the handcuff key hanging outside of the cell. Kotori didn't make that same mistake."

Rini sighed heavily, hopelessly. "I would be pointless to escape, anyway. Where would I go? What would Poudretteite do to my family then?" She walked to the door, leaning her cheek against the wood, grateful for Diana Droid's presence. She said-

"I'm so confused. Poudretteite and I both want to keep the Moon civilians safe, it seems. But why does she think Cosmic Power is something so bad?"

"Cosmic Power is the most incredible force known to our galaxy," said Diana Droid. "Everybody who knows of it is rightfully afraid of those who wield it."

"So it's just an energy," said Rini, "that may be used for good or evil?"

Diana Droid's eye screens buzzed blankly, then popped back up as she said, "My systems indicate that it is a force of good, which means that those who are against it advocate evil!"

"But Poudretteite doesn't seem _so_ evil," said Rini. "She did lock me in this dungeon, though…Diana Droid, can you tell me more about who created you?"

"My creator's name is Diana, and she is your true guardian, Rini."

"'true guardian', whatever that means," Rini grumped. "My head hurts," she said, walking away from the door and slumping against the cell's wall. "Can you check and see if the others are alright, D.D.?"

"My primary function is to watch over you, Rini," said the droid, "most especially when you are in a vulnerable state. Given your current condition, my programing will not allow me to leave your side."

Rini didn't respond. Her thoughts swirled, wrestling with each other, each vying for her attention; her family, her friends, Masaru, the moon goddess, Queen Serenity, Helios…all pieces to some bigger, unsolvable puzzle. Rini closed her eyes, willing her thoughts to black.

 _Click. Creeeak!_

The sound of the cell door opening woke Rini from her light slumber. She jumped to her feet, peering into the blackness. When nobody entered her cell, she took a cautious step toward the open door.

"Who's there!" she asked, taking another step forward.

"Come on out," coaxed a male voice. Rini peered out of the door, the dim lamplight at first very bright to her unadjusted eyes. She squinted up at the man, who held the lamplight up to his own face.

"You're-the emissary from Earth," Rini said. "Kotori's dad! Why are you here?"

"My name is Kai," he said, reaching for her handcuffs. Rini took a step back into her cell. "It's alright," he assured her, dangling a key in front of her face. "I just want to take them off, okay?"

"Okay…" Rini extended her arms, and he unlocked the heavy bracelets, tossing them casually to the floor. "Why are you doing this?" Rini asked again.

"First, come on out of that cell," Kai repeated, backing up a few steps. Rini walked into the hall, searching around for Diana Droid. The lamplight, though weak, obscured the rest of the dungeon in inky blackness, and Rini could see nothing beyond the tall, muscular man who had just freed her.

Kai said, "I want you to show me how you summon Cosmic Power."

"I…can't," said Rini.

"Nonsense," said Kai. "I was there in the arena when you saved your friend from Peri's fire. I want you to summon it now, like you did then."

"I…it just happened accidentally, I don't know how I did it!"

Kai said, "This Alpha Lunar shield of Poudretteite's has been very effective, and it took me nearly two decades to formulate a concoction that would allow Cosmic Power to sneak inside."

"What are you talking about?" said Rini, her heart beginning to speed up. Something felt wrong.

"Even so, the scientist I trusted with the formula only managed a weak spectacle, at best-"

"You're talking about the odyssey!" Rini realized. " _You_ gave the formula to Sadie?"

"It's been a _long_ process," said Kai smoothly, "and then you, a little nobody, comes along and summons pure Cosmic Power through the Alpha Lunar Shield with barely a word. How?"

"I told you, I don't know how!"

"I can't say I expected you to tell me," said Kai, "and I really shouldn't stay here much longer. But maybe Cin will convince you to share?"

The air grew thick with mist, swirling before forming into Cin, who smiled down at Rini, her icy blue eyes merciless.

Rini took a step back. "But Poudretteite said-!"

"Cin listens to whoever holds her precious vessel," said Kai, revealing the long-necked sugar pot. "Cin, find out all of her secrets, okay? And feel free to take your time, nobody will be coming down here to stop you."

Kai had set down the dim lantern and waved to Rini as he disappeared into the blackness, heading in the direction of the exit.

Cin smiled at Rini, who took a step back from that vicious grin, and then another, before turning and sprinting down the black hall of the dungeon.

She only got a few feet away before the enchanted water-ropes whipped through the dark, wrapping around her legs and arms and neck, dragging her back to the little oasis of light where Cin stood, her thick arms crossed over her bare midriff. The ropes disappeared as quickly as they had come, dropping Rini onto the dirty floor at Cin's feet.

"Go on, Guardian of the Moon," said Cin, "show me your power!"

Rini leapt to her feet and let out a yell, thrusting her hands toward Cin, willing the pink power to blast Cin into oblivion. Nothing happened.

"Well?" said Cin.

"I-can't-" huffed Rini, and a water-rope whipped and coiled around her wrist, lifting her to the ceiling.

"D.D., help!" Rini screamed. The rope lost form, and Rini hit the ground hard, water droplets raining all around her.

"Who is 'D.D.'?" asked Cin.

"I am Diana Droid!" pinged the camouflaged droid, flying at Cin. The djinn easily caught the nearly invisible droid, shaking it with inhuman speed. It's cloaking mechanism faltered, and the droid become visible.

"D.D.!" gasped Rini, "Cosmic shield!"

The droid pinged faintly and said, "Rini, I am sorry, but it appears I can no longer help you. My cache of cosmic power is not functioning properly-!"

"Cosmic Power?" said Cin, eyeing Rini and then the droid again. "Is this tiny droid the source of your power, then?" Cin squeezed the droid with powerful arms, and one of her hands punched through Diana Droid's rubber body. Sparks flew as she fished around the mechanical insides.

"D.D.!" screamed Rini, watching in horror as the droid's eye screens fizzed and flashed. Rini charged Cin, and the water droplets rose from the ground and re-formed into ropes, restraining her before she could reach the djinn.

Cin tore the rubber body away from the droid, revealing the mechanics beneath. The droid itself had gone still, it's eye-screens blank. Cin began to rip the droid apart piece by piece, tossing aside each chunk until-

"Ah-ha!" Cin triumphantly raised a part in her hand that she had ripped from Diana Droid's core. It was a smooth silver circle decorated with a pink stone heart.

"D.D.!" sobbed Rini. She remembered now where she had seen the locket that Helios had tried to give to her. It had been on the living room table in Teiko's apartment, where Sanae had been worked so hard to fix Diana Droid. The locket was the heart of the droid, it's battery, the cache of Cosmic Power-and now it was in Cin's clutches.

"The source!" Cin triumphantly held the locket, which seemed rather small and dim in her large, bronze-skinned hand. She roughly shook the locket, then attempted to pry it open to no avail.

"This-can't be it!" she snarled. "There's no power in this!" She dropped the locket and the ruined droid to the floor, distaste and anger lining her face.

"You're just trying to distract me!" Cin turned on Rini, baring her teeth. "Summon your power, now!" A huge ball of water formed above Cin, thrashing around itself like an angry spherical sea. The water-ropes binding Rini release her to join the deluge, and Rini had a split second to throw her arms over her face before the water crashed down into her, knocking her flat, waves filling the hall and washing everything into the darkness beyond

The stinging water blinded Rini's eyes, smothering her breath and filling her ears with a deafening rush. She was drowning, but then the wave had passed, and she was choking up water, crawling to her knees, pieces of what had been Diana Droid bobbing all around her in the wetness.

"Nothing yet?" said Cin, and when Rini looked up she saw the djinn advancing, another furious ball of water already on it's way. Rini crouched in anticipation of the blow, and that's when she saw it-

 _The locket!_

It had washed up next to her, and her fingers closed around it just as the next rush of water came swirling down. Rini fought to hold her breath, squeezing her eyes shut and clutching the locket to her chest as she rode the angry current further through the hall. This time when the wave passed, Rini remained lying on the floor, trembling and gasping in breath.

The water-ropes snaked around her, dragging her back to Cin.

"This feels great," Cin said. "Finally, a little time to truly exercise my power! It's almost like being free."

"You're not, though," said Rini, her breathing ragged, "Kai holds your vessel, so you're still just following orders! What kind of freedom is that?"

"The only kind a djinn like me can know! Now, are you ready to show me what you can do?"

"I'm ready," said Rini, and Cin looked at her with suprise.

"Fine," she said, releasing Rini, "but I was just starting to have fun!"

Rini's knees splashed hard against the saturated floor as she attempted to break her own fall. She rose after that, soaked, shaking against the chill of the water and the dungeon, raising the locket in front of her.

"I already tried that," Cin mocked.

 _This locket belongs to me!_ Rini knew the locket. She recognized the weight of it in her fingers. It began to vibrate, slight but full of power, and the pink diamond heart on the front of the locket came to life, beating with a pulse, flashing, shimmering.

The djinn said, "Stop trying to buy time, it's pathetic."

 _I know what I have to say!_ Rini knew it the same way she knew the locket was hers. It was a feeling, deeply ingrained. She raised the locket high into the air, and the words exploded within her, spiraling up from her heart and out of her mouth-

"PINK MOON POWER, MAKE-UP!"


	41. Hot Pink Smooch

**Thank you everybody _so much_ for reading, thanks James Birdsong for the lovely comment :D I have only a foggy idea of where Act 6 might end up so let's just see where it goes...**

Arc 1: Moon

Act 6: **?**

Scene 1: **?**

Pink radiance exploded from the heart of the locket, illuminating the darkness and chasing away the shadows of the dungeon. Rini had ignited, the brilliant fire roaring from within her. Magenta flames lapped all around her body, powerful yet pleasant, burning her clothes to ash and filling her veins with heat and light and magic.

The encompassing brilliance cracked then, splintering into a million tiny shards which fell to the ground like pink glitter dust, disappearing and leaving space for the shadows to return.

A soft glow persisted, however, pulsing up from Rini's chest. The locket had settled between her breasts, a silky pink bow having sprung from it. Rini looked down and saw that she was dressed in a tight fitting dress with six pink buttons in rows of two stacking up the front, sailor-style. The collar wrapped around her neck like a halter top, and the skirt was short and made up of many thin layers of fabrics, all different shades of pink. Knee-high pink boots topped with crescent moons hugged her legs, and when she touched the coldness on her forehead she felt the tiara that had formed there, and the bumps from the gems that encrusted it.

Cin was crouched in a corner, her arms thrown over her head to shield her eyes from the dazzling light. She peeked up at Rini once the light faded, blinking.

"That's…it?" she scoffed, standing. "A magical gem that changes your clothes? _That's_ what Cosmic Power does?" Cin began to laugh, even as Rini furrowed her brow and crouched into a fighting stance.

"I mean, your clothes _were_ soaked, so I guess that silly locket is _kind of_ useful…" Cin began to toss around a ball of her power, the water sphere bouncing from one hand to the next, growing larger with every toss.

"You destroyed Diana Droid!" said Rini, balling her fists. "She was my friend!"

"And what are you going to do about it!"

"I'm going to make you pay! I am the Guardian of the Moon, and I'm about to defeat you!"

"You've got a new outfit, bur let's see if you have any new moves!" Cin released her spell, and Rini once again found herself in the path of a raging, swirling enchantment.

I _f I was able to summon the Cosmic Shield through D.D., I should definitely be able to summon it now!_

"Cosmic Shield!" Rini crossed her arms in an X in front of her. The water crested and broke against the opalescent shield, rushing over and around Rini, leaving her bone dry.

 _"Yyaahh!"_ Cin swiped her hand, but Rini's shield deflected the enchanted water-ropes as well. Cin put her hands on her curving hips, carefully considering Rini.

She said, "Master Kai will be interested in hearing about this!"

"You're not going anywhere!" Rini said. "You harmed my friends and terrorized this Base! I'm putting an end to this, right here right now!"

"Oh, really?" Cin crossed her arms over her ample chest. "And how, exactly, will you do that?"

"Pink moon powers, go!" shouted Rini, pointing at Cin. Nothing happen. Cin smirked, and Rini tried again, "Magic, begin! Work!" _Why can't_ _I_ _attack?_ With a casual flick of her finger, Cin sent a water-rope, sharpened to a deadly point, directly at Rini's heart.

"Cosmic Shield!" Rini yelled again. The spell was quickly becoming a reflex. Cin's arrow splashed against the transparent barrier and dripped down onto the floor.

"You don't know how to use that power of yours very well," Cin said. "All you can do is change your clothes and block attacks."

"That's not true!" Rini tried and failed to sound confident.

"Liar. If you could attack, you would have done it already! Hang tight right here, little Guardian, I'll grab Master Kia and be right back!" Cin waggled her fingertips before morphing into that bodiless mist, snaking away and leaving Rini all alone in the soaked cellar. It was pitch black, since Cin's water attacks had long since doused the lantern, and the eerie blue glow that emanated from Cin had left when she did.

 _I gotta get out of here before Kai comes!_ Rini thought. _He seemed so interested in Cosmic Power, who knows what he'd try to do with it!_

Rini reached out her hand until her gloved fingers located the dungeon's stone wall. From there she began to make her way toward the exit. Her footsteps splashed in the puddled water Cin's magic had left behind, and the wet sound echoed down the hall and swirled around the blackness beyond.

 _Crunch!_ Rini's foot landed on something hard. She reached down in the dark, searching for the source, her hand closing around something thin and cold. She dropped to her knees onto the chilly, watery floor, now using both of her hands to gather up the titanium skeleton of Diana Droid.

"I'm so sorry, D.D." Her whisper was loud in the silence of the dungeon. "I had just gotten you back! I didn't mean for this to happen…I was trying to protect you by turning myself in-!"

A sob hiccupped up from deep within Rini's chest, cutting off her words. Her tears were warm against her cheeks and she hugged the ruined frame tight against her shivering body.

A soft, pink glow sparked to life, glimmering around Rini. When Rini looked down, she saw that the light radiating from the heart brooch on her chest had returned. It glowed brighter, surrounding Rini like an aura and growing still until it bathed the dungeon in a soft ambiance.

Rini touched the locket, feeling comforted by the light.

 _This power...it feels so familiar! So why can't I use it like I want? Was D.D. suppose to teach me how? Or was the droid just a glorified transport vessel?_

She scanned over the wrecked skeleton of Diana Droid, but there were only bits of circuitry and twisted metal remaining-the droid had been demolished beyond repair. Gently, Rini placed the skeleton back onto the floor next to the other scattered pieces.

"I'll come back for you once I save the others!" Rini promised the remains. _I don't think Sanse'll be able to fix her this time but-at least I can bury her parts in a better place than this dungeon!_

The locket's glow illuminated her way as Rini continued toward the exit. It vibrated ever so slightly against her, as though it were brimming with power, and that gave Rini the determination to continue up the dark twisting passage to the Moon Castle's main floor.

The light from the entrance room to the dungeons flooded the top of the landing, and Rini remained hidden in the shadows as she let her eyes adjust. The locket's glow had quickly faded in the daylight. Outside of the doorway lay the wrought iron gates that separated the dungeons from the rest of the Moon Castle, and the black-clad guards that patrolled them. Today, there were six.

Suddenly, one fell over, unconscious. Another followed, slumping against the gate before sliding to the floor, unmoving.

"What's going on!" a guard yelled. She and the three remaining drew their weapons, pointing them around the room blindly.

From the outer hall, another guard ran into the room. He was burly and had his left hand hidden behind his back.

"Men, we have a situation!" he said. "The rebels have breached the Moon Castle again!"

Then he revealed his left hand, which gripped a pink gun. Rini recognized her Pink Moon Blaster, and she recognized the guard's voice as Takeshi's. He shot quickly, sinking sleeper darts into two of the guards before the others could react. Once they started shooting, however, Rini sprang from her hiding spot and directed her power toward Takeshi.

"Cosmic Shield!"

The transparent shield gleamed around Takeshi, bullets ricocheting off it. Another man appeared, running at the two remaining guards as fast as he could. Even with his face obscured by his blue bandana, Rini recognized her older brother.

Ryuu brought a guard down with a flying kick, ripping off his helmet and knocking him out cold with an elbow to the temple. The remaining guard was taken care of with another well-aimed sleeper dart from the Blaster.

"Ryuu!" Rini ran to the gates, gripping the wrought iron. "Takeshi!" He ripped off his helmet, revealing his familiar face, eyes wide.

"Who-are you?" Takeshi asked.

"Rini?" Ryuu squinted at Rini as though he were looking into a bright light. "Is that you?"

"It's me! Unlock the gate!"

"Just give me a minute to find the key," Ryuu said as he began checking the unconscious guards' pockets. Takeshi walked up to Rini, placing a hand over hers.

"What happened to you?" he asked.

"I'm…the Guardian," Rini said. "You already knew that! Why are you looking at me that way?"

"You look like…something out of a fairy tale."

"Got it!" Ryuu rushed over to the gate with the key.

 _Clank! Scrrrek!_ The iron door swung wide open.

Rini said, "We have to get out of here before they check the security feeds and send more guards!"

"We have a little time," said Ryuu. "Takeshi and I managed to disable the cameras before we came here."

"That doesn't mean we should just stand around here and chat about it!" snapped Takeshi.

"He's right," said Ryuu. "Let's head for the armory!" He and Takeshi lead the way. They was a lone guard patrolling outside the door to the armory, but Takeshi stunned him with the Pink Moon Blaster and the three hurried inside of the room, dragging the guard with them.

"What is this place?" asked Rini, peering into the dim room.

"The Moon Castle's armory," said Takeshi, flipping on the lights. The stone room was filled with weapons. "We discovered it on our first mission here."

"And why are you here now!" Rini said, turning on her brother and Takeshi. "I turned myself in to help protect you two!"

Takeshi said, "None of us are safe anywhere, Rini, unless we all stick together."

"That's so stupid!" Rini said. "Now they'll for sure catch all of us!"

"Then we'll fight them off, together!" said Takeshi.

"Right," said Ryuu. "You can say whatever you want, Rini, but we're _not_ leaving you."

Rini blinked rapidly, her eyes filling with unexpected tears. "Ryuu.." she turned and looked at Takeshi as well, who was fiddling with the settings on the Pink Moon Blaster. He looked up to give Rini a solid nod. A ghost of a smile touched Rini's mouth, and her locked began to shine, the pink light returning once again.

"What is that?" Ryuu asked, looking from the glow to his sister's face.

"This is Cosmic Power," said Rini. "The locket had been hidden inside Diana Droid the whole time."

"I though Cosmic Power was what we fought against?" said Ryuu.

"At one point, so did I," said Rini. "But when I touched this locket, somehow, I knew that it belonged to me. I remember how to use it!"

"What can it do?" asked Takeshi.

"I _kind of_ remember how to use it," Rini corrected herself, "but the memories of how always seem to appear when I need them the most."

"Is that how all of _this_ happened?" Takeshi waved a hand at her outfit.

Rini nodded. "Cin ripped apart Diana Droid. The locket was inside of D.D., functioning as the droid's power source. Cin grabbed it first, but it didn't work for her. It worked for me, though. It did this!"

Takeshi's eyes took in her high-heeled boots, her short skirt, the form-fitting sailor top-

 _"Ah-hem!"_ Ryuu loudly his throat, pulling Takeshi's attention away from his sister. Ryuu said, "We broke Rini out of the dungeon, and now we need to get the others! Do we know where they've been taken?"

"Since they weren't in the dungeon, I'm assuming they're back at the police station on the Moon Base," said Takeshi.

"Even if we manage to save them, where will we all go?" asked Rini.

Takeshi and Ryuu exchanged looks. "I don't think we planned that far ahead yet," said Ryuu.

"What about Dez?" Rini suggested. "He can fly us all to Venus! Us, Teiko, and our parents!"

"Yeah! Mom always hated living on the Moon Base, anyway," said Ryuu.

"But how are we going to get inside the police station?" asked Rini. "Once they realize that I've escaped, both places will be swarming with guards!"

"That's already happening, even as you speak." The disembodied voice floated around the room.

"Cin!" Rini snarled, recognizing the voice. A chilly mist began to fall all around them.

"Imagine my surprise when you were not where I left had you!" the voice seemed to come from all corners of the room at once.

"Where are you!" Rini demanded. The mist had turned into a thick fog, and Rini, Ryuu, and Takeshi all drew together. Ryuu unsheathed a sword from a nearby scabbard and held it at the ready. Takeshi was aiming the Blaster all around the slowly disappearing room.

"Master Kai was very displeased. He ordered me to find you, little Guardian, and bring you to him! He didn't say anything about these two, however!"

A water-rope whipped and coiled around Takeshi's ankle. He barely had time to shout before he was dragged away into the greyness.

"Takeshi!" Rini rushed toward the spot Takeshi had just been pulled into. Ryuu grabbed her arm, stopping her.

"Don't!" he warned. "Cin is trying to separate us!"

Rini reached down, grabbing her brothers hand and squeezing tight. "Takeshi!" Rini she again, the fog muffling her cry. She strained to hear his voice, but the next sound she heard was another whip as Ryuu, too, was snared.

"Rini!"

"No!" Rini grabbed her brother's arm with both hands. She could feel the powerful tug as Cin yanked from the opposite end. Ryuu's hand slipped from hers, and he too was swallowed up.

"Enough!" shouted Rini, and the fog rolled away as if it were listening to her. Cin floated in the center of the armory's small practice ring, her face livid with anger as she watched the fog clear. Takeshi and Ryuu were suspended next to her, bound tight with enchanted ropes that pinned their limbs and covered their mouths.

"I'll say when it's enough!" said Cin. The water-ropes snaked around the boys' necks, and Rini watched in horror as they began to thrash, their faces reddening with the lack of oxygen.

"You're a nasty little renegade, and it's time for you to face a true punishment for your actions! Your friends will die because of you, and then I'll bring you to Master Kai, who will harvest your power before leaving your body to rot along with your friends!"

"A creature as evil as you has no business in this world!" shouted Rini. "How dare you harm so many who are dear to me! Cin, prepare to be defeated!" She felt her locket pulsing, the lifemagic within it filling her, urging her, and whispering to her the words that she had to say.

"HOT PINK SMOOCH!"

Rini blew a kiss at the djinn, and a small heart sped across the room and landed on Cin's lips. A furious pink power erupted next, enveloping Cin's body, and the djinn screamed as she faded and formed into tiny water droplets. The droplets fell to the floor, along with Takeshi and Ryuu as their enchanted bindings broke.

Rini, too, had dropped to the floor on one knee, her head spinning and throbbing.

"Rini!" The boys rushed over.

"Are you alright!"

"I feel so tired." Rini glowed for a moment with a dazzling light, and when it passed, she was back in her lavender hoodie with her stars-and-hearts tights. The Pink Moon Locket clattered to the floor beside her.


	42. 120

**finallly another scene to post, been so busy with school, everything is so structured there, love fan fic its my time to relax and write whatever, however, screw proper formatting! ! ! pizzigri thanks for being a fan, you are way too cool:)**

Act 6/Scene 2: 120

Pandemonium had broken out within the Base Force Police division. Computer monitors were flashing as surveillance cameras picked up signs of unrest around the Base, and phones had been incessantly ringing for the past hour. Officers hurried this way and that, answering the calls of civilians as well and searching for their chief. Anzen's door was locked, and the lights were off inside the office. Anzen was at his desk, however, sitting in the dark, monitoring the surveillance feeds from behind the locked doors with a careful eye. His radio was silenced, but a little red light kept flashing to remind him of the calls he was missing.

The door unlocked and opened. Anzen's eyes shifted toward the door, but it was the only part of him that moved. His wife slipped into the room, closing the door swiftly behind her against the commotion outside.

"Danuja," he said, "finally, you're back. Did you get the key?"

"I did." Her hand fished within her pocket before emerging with a card. "Managed to slip this off of a rookie officer."

"Did he give you any trouble?"

"Please," Danuja laughed. "He didn't notice a thing. Honestly, Anzen, I've been your second in command since we moved here with the colony two decades ago! Are you really still questioning my abilities?"

"My mistake," said Anzen, rising. With the computer monitor no longer in front of him, Anzen's face was obscured by the darkness of the room. "My focus is on other matters."

"I know." Danuja's smile disappeared. She crossed the room to pointedly hand her husband the keycard. "How's Teiko?" she asked as she took his abandoned position, sitting in the worn chair and peering at the monitors.

"It's quiet down in the cells. Whatever is happening on the Moon Base, it has all of the other officers occupied. If I go right now, I should be able to break our daughter out of jail without anybody noticing."

"Make it quick, and don't get caught," said his wife.

"You'll need to go out there soon to find out what's happening, before we arouse suspicion."

"I'm going," she said. "Right after you go."

"Just make sure you lock the door behind you. I'm hiding Teiko in here just as soon as she's out."

"I know the plan, Anzen. Now hurry up and free our daughter!"

They nodded to each other in the dim light. Anzen walked over to his battered file cabinet, and Danuja showed no surprise when he shoved it aside to reveal the entrance it had been disguising. The small, rectangular passage was open, and there was only blackness beyond.

Anzen ducked into the hole, encasing himself in the dark. He flicked on a flashlight, and the beam illuminated the small tunnel that ran alongside his office and the police division, hidden within the walls. The tunnel was narrow, and he was forced to hunch his back and lower his head as he followed it. When he reached the ladder that lead downward, he shook the crick from his neck before descending. He scaled down, down the aluminum rungs, until he reached the hatch that functioned as a convenient drop-down into the supplies closet in the basements. He shut the hatch after he was out, and it blended in seamlessly with the ceiling.

Anzen poked his head out of the supplies closet, swiftly checking both sides of the hall before heading to the right. Eventually, he got to the cell he was looking for, which unlocked with a quick swipe from his keycard.

"Dad!" Teiko stood up, but her restraints prevented her from rushing over to her father. The long side of her hair was tangled, and her eyes were sunken in with exhaustion, but other than that she appeared to be uninjured. Her freckled cheeks were damp with tears.

"You're okay! How's mom?"

"We're both fine," Anzen said softly.

"I've been so worried! Why didn't you come sooner!"

"Poudretteite made sure your mother and I didn't have keys to your cell or your handcuffs. I came as soon as I could locate a spare."

"I'm so sorry, dad!" the tears pooled and dripped from her chin. "I was just trying to help my friends! I didn't mean for you or mom to get hurt!"

"Teiko, I know, and I understand." Anzen's eyes hardened with the seriousness of the matter. He continued, "Right now I need you to understand just how much trouble you're in. Harboring wanted fugitives is treason. Poudretteite could have you shipped to the prison camps on Europa if she wishes!"

Teiko began to tremble. "W-What did she decide?"

"She hasn't yet, but I don't think it will be good. Teiko…I have to get you out of here!" Anzen crossed over to Teiko to unlock her restraints.

"Dad, you can't, you'll lose your job!"

"Teiko, my most important job is to protect you! That's the reason I joined the Base Force Police in the first place-and I would gladly lose it if it means protecting you."

 _Slick! Bleep!_ Teiko's handcuffs were unlocked by the keycard. Anzen tossed them onto the cell bed as he said, "Now, follow me, quickly!"

Teiko remained unmoving. She said, "Dad, promise me that you'll help Dez escape, too."

"Who?"

"The boy I was caught with, dad. Please! It's my fault he was captured-he was only trying to help me!"

"Teiko, I can't just free some stranger!"

"He's not a stranger, dad, he was my Moon Ball date! You would know that if you weren't working all the time!"

"Teik…!"

"I'm not leaving this room until you agree to free him, too!"

Anzen exhaled, his breath wavering and gruff as he fought to remain calm. He said, "I'll do what I can, Teik, but right now we have to leave. If anybody sees us, I won't be able to help you or anybody because I'll be shipped off to Europa, too!"

With one last hard look, Teiko nodded and walked outside, Anzen shutting the cell door and following her, hurrying her along ahead of him.

 _Whirrrr!_ The sound of an opening door echoed from down the hall, and a shout was heard-

"Chief! Stop right there!"

"Move, Teik!" Anzen hissed, shoving his daughter around the corner. "The supplies closet! Open the door!"

Teiko obeyed. Anzen urged her inside and pointed at the ceiling. "See that tile, there? Move it aside and climb into the tunnel. If you follow it, it will take you straight to my office!"

"Dad! A secret passage?"

"This base is filled with them. Once you're in my office, block the passage and stay inside! You'll be safe there for now-your mother and I are the only ones with keys!"

Footsteps were approaching, and Anzen began to close the door. Teiko stopped him. "Dad-what about you!"

"I'm the chief of police, Teik, don't worry about me! I'll keep you safe!"

"Dad-!"

"Go!"

Anzen had time to close the door and take a few steps down the hall before the officer hurried around the corner.

"Chief! Stop!"

"What!" Anzen growled, turning on the officer.

"Sir! We have an emergency situation!"

"I'm busy," said Anzen, "with my own emergency case!"

"I'm sorry, sir, but this is a Code Black! The water systems on the Moon Base have failed! The thermo-heat is failing as well! Sir, the lives of everybody on the Moon Base are in jeopardy!"

"What?" Anzen straightened, eyeing the officer. "But-why? Nothing like that has ever happened before!"

"Sir, nobody is sure why. The civilians are panicking, and it's spreading to the officers, as well! Sir, if we can't stop this thermo-meltdown, we could all freeze!"

Anzen said, "There has to be a backup generator of some sort!"

"Communication around the Base is down, sir, we suspect the rebels have interfered with it!"

"We have to reach Norio in the science division! He's the head scientist, he'll know what to do!"

Anzen raced up the stairs, the other officer following just behind him. When he reached the floor level, the sight of the ensuing calamity froze him where he stood. Officers ran this way and that, yelling into phones or typing frantically onto computers. Anzen could practically smell the panic that stifled the room.

"Anzen!" The sound of his name snapped him back into reality. Danuja ran from the crowd to his side, her eyes asking a wordless question. In response, Anzen gave the slightest of nods.

Relief soften Danuja's brow, if only for a moment. Then she said, "Thank the goddesses you're here, chief! We have an emergency situation on our hands. It appears the Moon Base is undergoing an extreme system error!"

Danuja and Anzen hurried over to the nearest computer, which was being monitored by a female officer with short black hair.

"The Base systems have failed!" said a female officer. She was shaking, and there were tears in her eyes as she watched her computer screen. The screen depicted the blueprint of the Moon Base, which was flashing from a series of separate points. Anzen and his wife studied the screen.

"It hasn't failed!" said Anzen. "Not completely-look, here and here!" He pointed to two flashing points on the screen. "Two sides of the Alpha Lunar Shield have shut down, but the third foundation is still holding the shield in place!"

"It could go any minute, though, just like the first two did!" sobbed the officer. "Then the Moon Base's atmosphere will be exposed, and we'll all be frozen in space-dead!"

"Pull yourself together, officer!" said Danuja.

Anzen said, "The Moon Base systems are glitching, but we should be able to manually reinforce the Lunar Alpha shield!"

"That's right!" said his wife. "But we'll need a base technician or a scientist to help us reinforce the shields!"

"I already planned on seeing Norio," said Anzen. "I'll head to the science department, where shield point A is located. I'm sure Norio will know how to activate it!"

"And I'll go handle shield point B," Danuja said. "There's no time to lose! Let's head out!" Together, they walked out of the door, leaving the clamor of the office behind them.

"Let's see who can activate their shield point first," said Danuja, giving Anzen a half-grin and coaxing one out of him, as well. They squeezed hands before they separated, each heading in an opposite direction down the moon-colored halls.

"Be careful!" Danuja called just before she turned the corner, disappearing.

Now alone in the halls, Anzen broke into a jog.

" _Please, for your own safety, return to your living pods and remain inside!"_

The message echoed down the halls, but the voice was soft and gentle, so as not to disturb those who were following instructions.

Anzen hopped into a tram, and his ride to the science division was brief.

 _Ding!_ SCIENCE DIVISION flashed across the destination board.

As the chief exited the tram, he took a moment to survey his new surroundings. The area was large, open, and empty, lit by the electric lights that were mounted on the ceiling above. There were some windows, but they were tiny and wedged up near the ceiling, affording very little outside light and too high to offer a view. There were hardly any scientists around, as the message that rang throughout the base played here too, though significantly quieter.

At the division's heart was a plastic biome made entirely with frosted windows, except for the door, which was see-through. Anzen tried the handle, but it was locked. He began to bang mercilessly on the door, and presently a dark-haired man with large round glasses appeared. He peered at the chief through the clear plastic door, his scowl deepening.

"Open up!" ordered Anzen.

Reluctantly, the scientist opened the door.

"Anzen," said Norio coldly. "Don't tell me you're here to unlawfully arrest me again?"

Anzen stepped into the biome, taking in the trees and plants that grew crowded together in the small space. He said, "Norio, I need your help!"

"I don't know anything about the Guardian of the Moon," said Norio. "It's out of my hands-I already told the officers that when they threw me in jail!"

"It's the Lunar Alpha shield!" said Anzen. "It's failing, and I need you to help me manually override shield point A so we can begin to reinforce it!"

Norio went pale. He said, "I-I didn't realize!"

"There's a base-wide alert, you had to suspect something!"

"I can't hear anything inside of the biome! It's practically sound proof, and I have been burying myself in research since all the trouble with Rini started happening-" Norio's voice caught, and he looked away from Anzen and began to study his clipboard.

Anzen said, "Norio, I want you to know that arresting you and your wife to get at your daughter wasn't my idea. I didn't have anything to do with it!"

Norio said, "My wife is ill, being arrested like that almost killed her! She is in critical condition, which is why I'm researching down here right now! I'm so close to finding something that can help her!"

Anzen said, "Please, the base temperature has begun to drop, and the water systems are failing. If we don't reinforce the shield point, your wife, along with everybody else on this Moon Base, will either freeze to death or die of dehydration! You have to help me!"

Norio said, "I'll help you, but first you have to tell me what you did with Rini!"

"She surrendered. They have her locked in the dungeons at the Moon Castle."

"Utter nonsense!" said Norio. "I still refuse to believe that my daughter is the Guardian of the Moon!"

"Then you know very little about your daughter." Anzen and Norio both turned toward the direction of the new male voice, which came quiet yet clear a little ways off. From the shadows of the science division, Kai emerged. He was lingering next to a complicated-looking computer system.

"What are you doing here, Kai?" said Anzen, his fingers curling into a fist. "Shouldn't you be with Poudretteite, whispering terrible ideas into her ear?"

"Anzen." Kai inclined his head in a greeting. "I came here to find you. Poudretteite ordered us to learn to work together."

"When need to get to that computer," Norio told Anzen. "It's the only way we can manually reset shield point A!"

"Step aside, Kai," snarled Anzen, taking a step forward.

"By all means," Kai smiled at Norio as he moved aside. "Do what you have to do, scientist. But, Anzen, we have bigger problems at hand."

"What are you talking about?"

"Take a walk with me, Anzen."

"I don't trust you, Kai, and I'm not going anywhere with you until you tell me what this is about!"

Kia's eyes slide over to Norio, then returned to Anzen. "Very well, if that's what you wish," he said, "it appears the Guardian has escaped once again."

Norio, who had been heading toward the computer, stopped to stare at Kai. "Do you mean-" he started, faltering.

"Do I mean your daughter, Rini?" Kai said. "Of course I do. She has admitted to being the Guardian-and she is the cause behind the base's systems glitch!"

"Impossible!" said Norio. Kai advanced on him.

"She is destroying the Alpha Lunar shield, she is trying to destroy everyone-"

Anzen stepped between Norio and Kai, holding out a hand to keep Kai from getting closer to the scientist. He said to Kai, "What you're saying-that the Guardian escaped-doesn't make any sense! Why would she do that? She willingly turned herself in!"

"Since we don't know where she escaped _to,_ I couldn't tell you, chief. All we know is that she managed to destroy Cin before she disappeared!"

Anzen cursed. "So that's why the shield is faltering!"

"Poudretteite demands that she is found, and ordered us to combine our efforts in order to do it."

"She's my daughter," said Norio. "I'll come, too!"

"No," said Anzen. "You need to work on getting shield point A back up!"

"It'll just take me a moment!" Norio said, rushing over to the computer. He clicked a few buttons and tapped the screen, and streams of code began scrolling fast across the monitor.

"No…" mumbled Norio. "No! It's fried! This can't be! You did this!" He jammed his finger at Kai.

"That is a serious accusation," said Kai softly. "What reason could I possibly have for wanting the shields destroyed?"

"You were right next to the computer, just moments ago! It had to be you!"

"Nonsense, somebody must have rigged it from earlier." Kai prowled closer to Norio. "The Guardian, perhaps? Or someone from her little gang of rebels?"

Again, Anzen repositioned himself so that he was a human shield between the muscular Kai and the little Norio.

"Norio, do your best to fix it," said Anzen. To Kai he said, "We have to find the Guardian, now!"

"She's probably heading toward shield point B as we speak," said Kai.

"Anzen, you don't really think Rini would do this, do you?" said Norio.

"What matters is that it's been done!" said Anzen. "And what matters even more is getting it fixed! The entire base could be demolished! Do you understand, Norio?"

The scientist nodded, shoving his glasses against his nose as he turned back toward the computer, his hands busying themselves with typing and clicking. As Anzen and Kai headed away from the biome, Norio said, "Anzen, if you find Rini, please don't let Kai near her! Keep her with the Base Force police!"

Anzen paused by didn't respond. Then, he and Kai exited the science division.

"I heard your daughter was in jail, too, for collaborating with the Guardian of the Moon," said Kai pleasantly, leading Anzen toward the trams. Anzen didn't respond, and Kai clicked his tongue.

"Those poor, confused girls. I can't tell you how glad I am that my Kotori doesn't follow those silly little trends like the other daughters on the Moon Base seem to do. It speaks volumes about her upbringing."

"I don't think it's necessary for both of us to check shield point B," Anzen said through clenched teeth. "Why don't you go wait at the station?"

"Trust me, I don't like this arrangement anymore than you do," said Kai with a light laugh. "But an order is an order, and Poudretteite is in charge here on the Moon."

 _Ding!_ LIVING PODS SECTION L flashed across the screen. Kai got off, and Anzen followed.

"This isn't where the shield point is?" Anzen said, walking behind Kai as he headed down the halls.

"No, but I think I know where the Guardian is hiding!" said Kai. "There is a living pod not far from here that showed suspicious activity before the cameras went down!"

The two men walked until they reached #120, which Kai opened with a key he produced. When the door _whissked_ open, he stepped aside to let Anzen enter the living pod first.

"The pod is abandon," said Anzen, taking in the empty room, which was dusty with neglect and contained only a few pieces of broken wood and glass. "It doesn't look like anybody has been in here for months!"

"More like years," said Kai, stepping in behind Anzen and allowing the door to seal the two of them inside. Anzen ventured further into the pod, entering the kitchen. He opened the fridge, which was full of-

"Vials?" Anzen picked out on of the many glass tubes, which was filled with a strange, bright liquid. He shifted the vial, mumbling, "What is this place?"

"I've had #120 reserved since the day they built this Moon Base, two decades ago," Kai drawled. " I use it as place where I can dump the things that I don't want lying around!"

"What do you mean?" Anzen was reaching into the fridge, gabbing at a different colored vial. "Kai, what exactly is-?"

WHAM!

A splintering pain registered from the back of Anzen's head, and he saw a bursting cluster of stars before everything went black and silent.


	43. Choice

**Guys, its been nearly 2 years since my last update! Isn't that crazy? Time flies, but I kept remembering this story and I hated the way I left it incomplete, so here's my second shot at finishing this thing!**

Arc 1: Moon

Act 6: Moon Princess

Scene 3: Choice

The blackness, the cold, the far-off glint of constellations: all of it was beginning to feel familiar to Rini. She turned around to focus on the man she knew would be behind her. Helios. Was "man" the right word? He had called himself her knight in the Prayer Room. With the sun behind him, the edges of his platinum hair and suit glowed with a white-hot halo, as though he were a saint or angel, watching over Rini with eyes like burning suns.

Clusters of stars swirled behind Helios in the far-off distance, as if a pair of giant wings had sprouted from his back, covered in glinting feathers strong as steel.

"You did well." A smile. "I knew you would."

"Tell me why I keep having these visions," demanded Rini.

Helios didn't respond, and Rini's head roared with questions, yet when she opened her mouth she was surprised by the statement that came out.

"Helios, I…I'm scared. Everyone's plotting against me and my friends. They took my parents and I think they're trying to kill me-!"

She looked to where the bleached stacks of the Moon Base and the grey Moon Castle swirled together beneath them, making a hypnotic ring.

"You're the Princess of the Moon. You have nothing to be afraid of."

He held out a steady hand and she hesitated, remembering the last time she had been here, up in space, when Helios had handed her the Pink Moon Locket. The locket-or, perhaps, she-had been incorporeal. She remembered the way it slipped through her open palms and plummeted down toward the surface of the Moon…

"It's alright, Sailor Moon."

Cautiously she reached out and brushed her fingers against his hand. It was firm—tangible. He closed his fingers around hers, gently, and said:

"The link between us grows stronger with the destruction of each djinn."

Helios pulled her toward him with a dancer's grace and her free hand landed on his chest. Heat rose into her cheeks as she felt the rhythmic beating of his heart. When he took a step forward, she automatically took one back, and they began to move in time to its steady pulse, dancing together within the eerie silence of space.

He twirled her and a phantom gown of stars billowed out from around her waist. An elated sound between a gasp and a laugh burst from Rni's lips.

Helios cocked his head to one side, a silent question.

"It's just, these steps feel so familiar," Rini said. "Have we ever danced before? Back when you were my knight?"

"We weren't supposed to. But we did. At every party. You always found time to sneak away from all the fuss and meet me in the background."

"I don't remember anything like that."

"I knew you wouldn't. It's been a century, and when the Light left, I—" his stopped talking abruptly and looked away from Rini. She could hear the void of space fill the silence between them: a yawning, empty sound.

"You what?" she pressed.

He looked back at her and the force of his gaze hit her like gravity, like she would fall into their burning depths.

"You have to understand, I ever thought I'd get you back."

There was desperation behind his soft words, and something else Rini couldn't place. She thought of where she had just been before this vision—the armory. She thought of Ryuu and Takeshi, no doubt fending off hordes of Moon Castle guards, if they hadn't already been caught and thrown back into the dungeon, jail, or worse. She thought of Masaru and Sanae, who had been captured by Cin, and she thought of her missing parents. Helping everyone was her priority.

Rini gently withdrew her hand from Helios's grasp. The hurt on his face made her regret her decision but she balled her fists at her sides and held her ground.

"If you care so much," she said, "then help me save everyone. All the people I know and love are on that Moon Base! Please. I don't know how to use Cosmic Power. I need to know how to unleash it so I can destroy my enemy!"

"Only you know the secrets to unlocking Cosmic Power," he said. "No one else. Rini, you are slowly becoming your true self." Rini could hear the approval in his voice but it wasn't what she was looking for. "Though you aren't quite there yet."

"What do I do?"

"You must destroy Poudretteite and Seirei."

"I'm not strong enough!"

"You are, Sailor Moon. You destroyed Cin."

"Isn't there a way to help everyone _without_ killing?"

"My soft-hearted Moon Princess." His face was cold, serious. "Begging for peace, refusing to be violent—those are the qualities that destroyed you a century ago. You died on your knees before the enemy, wishing everything would stop. It won't. It hasn't, not while you've been gone, and it won't now, unless you destroy those who would destroy you."

Tears flooded into her eyes at what he was asking. She tried to look away but he grasped her chin and drew her gaze back to his.

"Do you know what happens after destruction?"

She shook her head, tears glinting and floating off her cheeks in the weightless in space.

"Rebirth." Helios released her chin. "I learned that from you. You owe it to those citizens— _your_ citizens. Your subjects. I am one of those subjects, princess. I've managed to elude Poudretteite and her family all for this moment…to find you, guide you, and help you do the right thing. To help you save us all."

He drew in close and his lips brushed her cheek as he murmured, "Poudretteite's Alpha Lunar Shield holds me at bay. Destroy that, and I'll be able to come down personally and help you finish her off!"

His final words echoed around Rini as she began to fall. She didn't fight the sensation as she slipped through space and plummeted downward toward the surface of the Moon. A roaring filled her skull and then silence, and darkness…but it was a different darkness than that from where she had just been. Warmth crept into her numb fingers and toes and a musty smell filled her nostrils.

"Rini!"

Her eyelids fluttered and the hazy form above her took shape. It was Takeshi, unmistakable by the rough sound of his voice and the muscular shape of him.

"Are you alright?" he asked. She nodded as he helped her sit up.

"Do you remember what happened?"

"Where's my locket?" she countered. Her voice was thick with sleep.

"What locket?"

"Here." Another voice—Ryuu, his footsteps soft as he walked up from the gloom. "You dropped it when you fainted." Her brother pressed the already-familiar weight of the heart-shaped locket into Rini's hand.

As soon as the locket made contact with Rini, it began to glow. The pink light bathed Takeshi and Ryuu's faces and spread out toward the walls to reveal a motley of cruel weapons.

"How long have I been out?" asked Rini the young men.

"An hour—maybe less," said Takeshi. He took a knee beside her in the oasis of light.

"And nobody's come for us?"

"Not one," said Ryuu. He crossed his arms. "But we think there's trouble elsewhere. It's the only reason I can think of for not being swarmed by guards."

"Elsewhere? Have the others-?"

"We know as much as you do," said Takeshi.

"Not so much, then," Rini said with a frustrated sigh.

"We do have a plan," said Ryuu. "Only, we need your help."

He walked back into the gloom and Takeshi stood as well.

"Are you strong enough to stand or should I throw you over my shoulder?"

Rini rolled her eyes and hoisted herself to her feet, walking in the direction Ryuu had gone. She moved the Pink Moon Locket around as she walked, illuminating racks and shelves chocked full of knives and swords, arrows and staffs. Ryuu stood next to a workman's bench and was indicating the wall behind it. It was undecorated and made with tidy rows of brick.

"See?" said Ryuu. His fingers traced an arc on the wall and then Rini saw it: a tiny black crack that formed the shape of—

"A secret door?"

"Exactly! We can't open it, but we think you might be able to."

Rini's fingers twitched. Diana Droid had told her that the Moon Castle was intrinsically linked to the Moon Princess—to her. She thought of the door to the Prayer Room and the boiler room…had it just been a coincidence that those doors opened for her when they remained locked for everyone else?

The grain of the bricks scratched her palm when she pressed in the center of the door. The wall sunk forward easily and the three friends stepped back as brick scraped against brick. Darkness and the smell of stale air whooshing out into their faces as the hidden door pulled itself open with a gasp. Takeshi coughed as Ryuu waved the dust away.

"How do we know where it leads?" Rini asked. The shadows within swallowed the light from her locket.

"Does it matter?" said Takeshi. "All three of us are wanted criminals, and Rini, by now everyone knows you're the Guardian of the Moon. They think you're behind everything! As long as this passage takes us out of the Moon Castle, then it doesn't matter where it goes."

"It does too matter, Takeshi. What about the rest of your plan?"

Takeshi and Ryuu exchanged glances. Rini glared between them.

"What?"

Ryuu said, "Our plan is to get you out of here as quickly and quietly as possible."

"And then?"

"And then, we'll get you on a spaceship. The emissaries from Venus and Mars are leaving, as well as all the ships from Earth that came for the Lunar Market. We have to get you onboard one of the ships and—"

"No!" snapped Rini. "You can't just ship me off to another planet-not when the Moon is in the middle of a mess I helped create!"

"I told you, we shouldn't have told her that part," said Takeshi.

"I need to get you to safety, Rini," said Ryuu.

"And what about mom and dad? Poudretteite took them!"

"As soon as your safe, I'll go get them—"

"You don't even know where they are!"

"I'll _find_ them, Rini!"

"And Sanae—Teiko?"

"We'll get them out, too—"

"Donovich, Sadie, Kait, Airi, everyone? It's everyone, Ryuu. The entire Moon Base is in danger! I'm not going anywhere."

Takeshi and Ryuu exchanged glances. With a firm set of his jaw, Ryuu tried again:

"Rini—"

"I've been having visions," Rini said. She stared down into the pulsing pink light of her locket, its presence comforting in the gloom. "They've been guiding me. Sort of. And because of them, I know the only way to stop this madness is to end Poudretteite and her final djinn." Rini's hand clenched in a fist over the metal heart. "I've made up my mind. This is what I'm going to do."

"You're going to _end_ Princess Poudretteite?" Takeshi asked. His lip twitched as though he were caught between a smile and a shudder. "You can't be serious."

"I've never been more serious, Takeshi." Rini ignored the twist in her gut. "It's the only way, and I'll need your help. Both of you. Please."

When the guys exchanged another glance, Rini said, "You said it yourselves—there aren't many guards around. And we're in a room full of weapons—this can't be a coincidence. We need to take what we can carry and go destroy the final djinn. Takeshi, can you take us to where you found Peri's vessel?"

"I don't like this."

"I'm not going to force either of you to come. Either help me or don't."

"You're being ridiculous," said Ryuu, "and I won't let you put yourself in danger!" He grabbed for Rini's arm but she deflected and shoved him face-first onto the shadowy corridor.

"Go, or stay and fight," she repeated. Her locket's light pulsed around her in a pink aura, making her look fairylike in the dimness.

She crossed the room and began to size up the weapons, selecting a Bo Staff and examining it carefully for weak points. Moments later, Takeshi joined her, selecting a pair of axes for himself. Ryuu pushed himself off the floor and pulled a broad sword from its crumbing scabbard with a low growl.

"I don't like this," he said.

"Me neither," said Rini. "But it has to be done."


	44. Shield Point C

Act 6/Scene 4: Shield Point C

Scorpion. Sagittarius. Saturn Ring. Starshine…

In the stillness of her living room, Kotori moved through each posture with infinite care, feeling the bend in her knees with Saturn Ring, the way the strain moved to her thighs in Starshine. She welcomed the movement as her muscles warmed and eased into each fighting position.

Meteor Fall…

A flurry of punches peppered the air when the door banged open. Kai entered, looking disheveled. Blonde hairs had been mussed from his normally impeccable slick back, and his hands were covered in—

Kotori gasped before she could stop herself. The white gloves Kai had put on this morning were stained the rusted red of drying blood.

Kai fixed Kotori with a warning look, his blue eyes like iron, shutting down any questions that rose to her lips.

 _Whisssk_. The door shut behind Kai as he wordlessly crossed through the living room and disappeared into the kitchen. Kotori stood suspended, barely breathing, listening to his movements. Where had her father just come from? Her eyes darted to the rectangular screen above the door, where the same messages scrolled since early this morning: _WARNING! Moon Base lockdown. Remain inside. Violators will be imprisoned immediately!_

From the kitchen came the sound of the refrigerator door opening. Bottles clinked together, then the door shut with a _snap_.

Kotori peeked through the open doorway to where Kai stood at the sink, his back to her. He stripped off one stained glove and then the next, stacking them neatly on top of each other.

"There hasn't been running water since this morning," Kotori said. She kept her voice low, not wanting to shatter the thick tension pouring from Kai.

Kai continued his task as though he had not heard. He unscrewed the cap from the water bottle he had gotten from the fridge and proceeded to rinse one hand, then the other.

"Papa, are you hurt?"

Kai didn't respond.

Kotori knew better than to ask Kai about his work, but the Moon Base was failing—residents were being asked to remain in their living pods like prisoners, the thermal heat indicators had plummeted, and the water systems were shut down. Kotori couldn't help but wonder if Kai had played a part in it. If _she_ had played a part, when she turned over the Guardian of the Moon to Princess Poudretteite. She couldn't stop herself from asking:

"What's going on out there?"

Kai pumped soap from the dispenser and began to scrub his hands. Kotori watched his powerful shoulders move to the rhythm, stopping to grab the bottle of water and thoroughly rinsed away any soap. He took his time drying his hands on the kitchen towel.

Just when it seemed he wouldn't answer, Kai turned from the sink and said:

"We leave for Earth as soon as possible."

"As soon as…? But, I haven't even picked yet…!" The weight of Kai's gaze fell on Kotori and her words died on her lips.

"Picked? Surely you aren't discussing your Placement?"

"I…" She had won the tournament and been offered a Placement by each of the three Solar emissaries—something no one else had ever achieved. And yet, one look from Kai made her revert back to her childhood, powerless as, again and again, she begged for Kai to take her with him whenever he left for Earth.

"You what? I suppose you'd rather go to Mars with General Aka, where you'll be blown apart in the Red War no matter how strong you think you are?" A cold smile. "Or to Venus, where their soft culture will strip you of everything you've worked so hard to achieve? Or, perhaps, were you planning on staying here, on this Moon?"

"I don't know," Kotori ground out, casting her gaze downward. "I thought I'd have more time to choose."

"It's time for you to decide where your loyalties lie, Kotori. Right now."

The words came out of Kotori from sheer practice, because she knew what she was supposed to say, what she had been trained to say for as long as she could remember—

"They lie with you, papa."

"Hm."

The suddenness of Kai's preposition had shaken her. Were they really leaving the Moon so soon? "I want to say goodbye to my friends," she said. Singular. One friend: Masumi.

"Unfortunately, departure will not be immediate. It seems Miss Poudretteite isn't letting anybody on or off this Moon, including the emissaries. She's clinging to the last scraps of power and control she has."

Kai's fist clenched and unclenched as his gaze bore into Kotori, though he seemed to be talking more to himself than her. Even still, Kotori asked:

"What do you mean?"

"Back on Earth, Poudretteite's royal siblings have officially demanded she relinquish the Moon throne. Much like you, she was sent to this colony as a test of her aptitude—a test that she failed miserably, as she not only allowed the Guardian of the Moon to terrorize this Base, but has been unable to successfully capture her time and time again."

"Rini—she got away?"

Kotori still couldn't believe that the Guardian of the Moon was Rini; her childish classmate with rounded cheeks, whose pink hair was constantly in need of brushing and who was unremarkable in fighting. And yet…Rini had saved Kotori from Peri during the tournament. And Rini had freed Kotori in the boiler room and allowed herself to be taken into custody. Something tight in Kotori's stomach eased a bit—a guilty knot she hadn't even realized was there.

"Yes, and her capture is emanate for everyone's safety."

"Rini's lived here her whole life, same as me. Why would she want to sabotage the Moon Base?"

"Forces are at play that you can't even guess at, daughter. But no matter—I will personally see to it that the Guardian is captured, again, and for good this time. In the meantime, I have a task for you."

"Yes, papa." Again, that ingrained response. Kotori found herself hating the automatic sound of her voice.

"Go to the hangar and avoid detection. It'll be no small task, as a crowd waits within, all trying to return to their home planets. Look for the control panel that is shield point C. I need to you permanently disable it so that everyone can get past the Alpha Lunar Shield and out into space. You may need to take out a few Base Force police officers to do it. Don't hesitate."

"I won't."

"Do it now." Kai's voice was a cold whip of command. "And I suggest you wear a disguise. A good one. If you're caught, I won't be able to help you and you'll be stuck on this Moon for good." Kai handed Kotori a gas mask—it was pink, and she recognized it as the one Rini had worn as the Guardian of the Moon.

She realized what her father was asking of her. Kotori took the mask and gave Kai a respectful bow as he headed back toward the door.

"And destroy those gloves while you're at it," he called as the door _whisssked_ shut behind him.

Was he was heading back to the Moon Castle? As an emissary, Kotori suspected her father's main quarters were at Poudretteite's Castle. Kai rarely visited the Moon and kept no belongings in their living pod. It had been filled with training equipment and Kotori's personal belongings for as long as she could remember.

She tossed the gloves into the disposal and tried not to think about who's blood soiled them. _Likely someone who deserves it._ The thought did nothing to ease her clenching stomach.

There were spots of ash on the pink gas mask, likely still from Peri's fire. If Kai had handed her this, he must be asking her to dress as the Guardian. It was a perfect disguise, she had to admit. Even though Rini had been unmasked, her identity remained a secret to the majority of the Moon Base residents. Besides, who said there couldn't be more than one Guardian of the Moon?

In any case, there was about to be.

The bathroom's florescent lights flickered as Kotori twisted twin odango buns onto the sides of her head, wrapping her hair carefully so the sea green tips were hidden. The thick cat-eyes she applied gave her face a mask-like appearance and she used a glittering gold liner to trace an upside-down moon onto the center of her forehead. She elected to wear her black catsuit because it was easy to move in and chose the black boots Kai had brought her from Earth—the ones with the steel toes. Then she slipped on the gas mask and ran out the door.

The halls were deserted and her boots echoed eerily in the silence.

 _Clop clop clop clop_!

On every screen, the warning messages flashed red: Water systems FAILED. Thermal heat FAILED. Residents, RETURN TO YOUR LIVING PODS IMMEDIATELY!

There had still been heat in Kotori's living pod, thanks to the tight constructs of the pods and the fact that she had been training so rigorously. In the halls, however, the cold was more noticeable. Kotori rubbed her arms and quickened her pace. Whatever this shield point C was, Kotori hoped it would help the Moon Base reboot its systems and return to normal.

Luckily the trams weren't down, though the one Kotori rode jerked about spastically, its lights flickering.

When she got to the hangar, Kotori didn't hesitate. She slipped through the doors and lost herself in the crowd. On a normal day, Kotori might have stood out in her catsuit and gas mask. Today, however, the hangar was filled with people in all sorts of costumes and clothing: Venusians wearing flowing robes colored orange, yellow, and blue, soldiers from the Red War standing stoically in their red uniforms, and market vendors dressed in a melee of fashions from Earth and other reaches of the Solar System that Kotori couldn't place.

A man with a strong jaw and deeply tanned skin was shouting above the din. Kotori recognized him as General Aka—the emissary from Mars. He was flanked by Daikuto and Rose, both of whom had been Placed on Mars alongside Kotori. They each wore a soldier's red uniform and had identical travel packs slung over their shoulders. Were they trying to leave already?

Their faces were set with looks of determination as Aka's booming voice carried throughout the hangar.

"You can't keep us on this Base like prisoners!" He was speaking to a line of armed police officers that separated the crowd from the heart of the room, where the spaceships were docked. A roar of assent rose from the crowd.

"No one can leave until the Moon Base systems are fully operational!" shouted the Base Force Police Officer that stood slightly ahead of the line. He had no special markings and Kotori wondered, briefly, where Chief Anzen was. "Until that time, the Alpha Lunar Shield is on lockdown and the system cannot be overridden. The problem is currently being addressed. Everyone, return to your individual quarters immediately!"

"And if we don't?" challenged Aka.

"You can't stop all of us!" yelled a merchant. Daikuto drew his Bo Staff and gave it a single, threatening twirl.

"We'll give you one minute to step aside before we force you to!" the threat came from Kotori's left-Eros, the emissary from Venus, whose features were cold and smooth as chiseled marble. Around him, his fellow Venusians took elegant fighting stances that made Kotori sneer. She could tell what Kai meant when he had called their culture "soft". They looked more like dancers about to perform a ballet than warriors.

Kotori continued to move toward the right-hand side of the room, where the door to the control room was located. The crowd's rising aggression made it easy for Kotori to slip between people—everyone was focused on the officers.

"Let us through!" someone demanded, and the crowd gave a sudden surge forward, taking Kotori with it like a swelling riptide.

"Stay back!"

 _Phiiisssst!_

Tear gas was thrown into the crowd and Kotori ducked away, grateful for her gas mask. She maneuvered past people, barely avoiding the crush of bodies. The gas spread like a fine mist and people began to cough, some falling to their knees and others trying to help them up before they were crushed by the crowd. The remainder of the crowd flew into action. People roared, drawing weapons and descending on the police offices. Shots rang out and Kotori ducked. There were too few officers against too many people and they were quickly overwhelmed and disarmed.

"Get the door!" Eros yelled above the din.

Kotori felt herself pushed this way and that. She fought against the swarm, against the amount of bodies pressing in on her. She lurched forward, forcing her way through the mass's ebb and flow. A gasp of relief escaped her lips when her fingers gained purchase on the hangar's back wall. She squeezed against it and used its solidity as a barrier to avoid the main current, to keep moving forward. Glancing up, she noted the door to the control room fifty feet away, marked by the single red light above it.

The crowd shifted and cheers went up as the large roof of the hangar began to peel back, opening the entire room up to the Moon's weak atmosphere. Outside, the day above was bathed in pink and orange—it was sunset, which would be followed by two weeks of night.

 _No_. Kotori stopped moving and clenched at her gas mask. She pressed her back against the wall and held her breath, waiting for it to happen. For the oxygen to leave the room, for people to start dying.

Nothing happened.

Kotori drew in a breath of relief and confusion.

She, along with the other Moon Base residents, had been raised to believe that the Moon's atmosphere was too thin and fragile to support life. However, nobody keeled over or was struggling for oxygen. Nobody even looked surprised to be breathing. Had an unlivable environment been a lie fed only to the students, or was such a change still recent?

"Men!" came Aka's voice. "To the ships!"

Daikuto and Rose cut paths for the soldiers toward the charcoal battleships near the center of the hangar. The Venusians filed onto their own fleet of smooth, gilded vessels. The remainder of the mismatched ships of varying build were boarded by merchants, shippers, and entertainers. Kotori caught sight of Hayata boarding an Earthen ship, along with a few other warriors.

"Teiko, over here!"

Kotori whipped her head around in time to see a boy with spiky blue hair extend a hand to Teiko and pull her in the direction of a beat-up spaceship. Teiko's eyes were rimmed with red and her checks were splotched, as though she had been crying.

She turned and her brown eyes locked with Kotori's green ones, widening. And then the couple was gone, swallowed by the rushing crowd.

 _Concentrate_. The sounds of the ships' starting engines filled the room, along with the sharp scent of rocket fuel.

Most of the crowd had dispersed. The Base Force Police Officers stood by helplessly, many of them knocked unconscious or dazed, a few radioing for backup. The control room door was left unguarded, forgotten in the confusion. It was locked, but Kotori managed to smash it in on her third kick, thanks to the steel in her boots.

The three officers in the room looked up in surprise.

"It's the Guardian of the Moon!" one of the officers said—a woman with black hair and large blue eyes.

A brunette man drew his weapon and pointed it at Kotori. "Get out of here before we arrest you!"

Kotori advanced toward the man but the third officer stepped in front of her, placing himself between her and the gun. He was tall and his freckles made her think of Donovich. She hesitated.

"Get out of the way, Jasper!" growled the brunette officer.

"Don't hurt her!" said Jasper. "The Guardian helped save those residents from Poudretteite's djinn! She's here to help!"

"Is that why she kicked in in the door!"

"Show me where to find Shield Point C!" Kotori demanded, interrupting the men. She looked between the freckled man and the black-haired woman expectantly.

"See!" said the brunette man. "She's here to destroy the final shield point—she'll kill us all!"

"Nobody's killing anyone," said Kotori. "Now, where is it?" The freckled officer stood closest to her. She grabbed him by the collar and squeezed her fist so the material tightened around his neck.

"It's there," he gasped out, pointing to a control box that was shoved between monitors and alight with dozens of flashing lights. Kotori released him. "Gees, I'm on your side," he said as she advanced on the box.

"Don't," said the female officer. "If you tamper with this shield point-you'll put every resident in danger!"

Kotori took in the flashing lights of the control panel, the wires that could easily be pulled. _Destroy it_ , said a soft voice inside her head.

"How would they be in danger?" she asked the woman officer.

"That shield keeps evil forces at bay."

"That's just a fairy tale." She grabbed a handful of wires, yanking them from their sockets. Then, she gripped the entire panel and threw it onto the floor. It burst apart, sparks spewing from the shattered circuitry.

The florescent lights in the hangar and control room flickered once, twice. Then the Base was plunged into darkness.


	45. Failure

**This chapter is a week late! So sorry! I just got a puppy so life has been crazy. Hope you enjoy this addition-please let me know what you think!**

Act 6/Scene 5: Failure

Grey water swirled all around Anzen, warm and alive and in every direction fading off into blackness in the distance. Which way was up? Down? He couldn't tell. It didn't matter.

He was safe. He floated, peacefully, suspended between the currents.

Anzen!

His name sounded from somewhere far, far about the water's surface. He was needed. That old, familiar sense of duty crept into his sense of peace. Protect. Serve. It had been this way his entire life and he didn't regret one minute of it. It was who he was.

Mechanically, his body uncurled. He began to float toward the sound—toward the surface.

Anzen! Chief Anzen!

Two faces swam into existence in front of him and he willed his eyes to focus on a tanned-skinned boy with a sweep of dark purple hair and a beautiful girl with lavender curls, who he recognized as Sanae, Teiko's best friend.

Teiko.

Anzen sat up with a jolt. A lightning strike of pain pierced the back of his head. The world blurred and swam, threatening to pull him back under into that grey sea of peaceful oblivion.

But this was not the time for peace. He knew that. Everyone needed him: his family, his fellow officers. Princess Poudretteite and the Moon Base…

 _Sit straight._ Nausea rolled over him like a wave but he willed himself to breathe and took in the blurry room around him. It appeared to be a classic, two-bedroom living pod without the furnishings. The light was dim. He lay on the creamy grey carpet.

"Chief Anzen, you need to wake up."

Anzen grunted in response to the boy. He had seen this boy somewhere before.

His eyes began to adjust to the room's dimness.

There was blood everywhere…smeared across the boy and on Sanae's dress. It stained the carpet beside him, where his head had been resting moments ago. There was a trail of it leading from the living pod's entrance to one of the bedrooms.

"Chief! What do you remember?" It was the boy who spoke; whose arm helped support him.

"I was in the police station." It was a struggle to speak. "Water. Please."

"There's none here," said the boy. "The water main has failed."

Failed? Memories came rushing back to Anzen: the police station in chaos, the hurried mission he'd thrown together in an attempt to halt the ensuing panic within the Moon Base…

"The shield points," he rasped. "We tried to reboot them. Danuja and I split up…"

The arm supporting him became tense. The boy asked:

"Do you remember who brought you here?" He spoke in a low whisper.

"Kai. He was already there, I think, when I got to shield point A. He distracted me. Stopped me from rebooting the shield point. He said he had something valuable to show me and lead me here." Anzen gingerly touched the back of his head and winced at the surge of pain that followed. "He attacked me just moments after that. How did you kids get here?"

Sanae and the boy exchanged glances.

"Cin brought me here," Sanae said. "Masaru, too. She had tied us with her enchanted water-ropes in the master bedroom…but a few minutes ago, they just vanished. We ran out and found you like this."

"Cin must have been defeated." Anzen shook his head. "This is bad. The djinn were suppose to be a last measure…Poudretteite misused them, but to destroy them is a colossal mistake. Their magic is what keeps the Alpha Lunar Shield up, and without it, we become vulnerable."

There was a long moment of silence. Then, Sanae's voice:

"Chief…that's not all."

He looked from Sanae to the boy and back. Their faces were grave and neither seemed willing to speak.

"What?"

Tears and panic filled Sanae's large green eyes.

"You'll need your strength before we show you…"

Something was very, very wrong.

"Show me what."

"It's your wife, Anzen," said the boy. His voice was firm and his face set: a soldier's look. He jerked his head toward the bedroom, to where the trail of blood lead.

No. This can't be happening.

Anzen felt his heart rate increase and a roaring noise filled his mind as the panic seeped from Sanae to Anzen like a disease. Only decades of training for the Base Force Police kept him steady as Masaru helped him to his feet.

They moved in what felt like slow motion, as if the air had become thick and hard to push through. They followed the trail of blood into the smaller of the two bedrooms.

Danuja lay on the bed. She wasn't moving. Her head was at an odd angle and her brown curls were saturated with blood.

"Danuja." Anzen spoke softly, as though he didn't want to wake her. "Danuja, my bright star…"

He shook his head, his hand grasping hers.

Her skin was like ice, and her eyes stared upward, gazing at nothing. Anzen fell to his knees and vomited up stomach bile. The roaring in his head had turned into a low droning noise and the edges of his vision went grey and soft.

 _My love_. "Kai did this," he mumbled. _My deepest love._

From somewhere far behind him, he was aware of Sanae sobbing and Masaru guiding her back into the living room, where he instructed her to get the door open in a low tone. Masaru's voice was steady, commanding. He had dealt with death before.

So had Anzen. But never like this. Kai would pay.

Masaru re-entered the bedroom and crossed over to the bed.

"May I?" He reached for Danuja's open eyes but Anzen's grasped his hand in mid-air, stopping him.

"I'll do it."

Anzen swallowed the taste of bile, his mouth even drier than before. He gently lowered her eyelids. Then he kissed her forehead and carefully covered her with the sheets from the bed.

 _I need to find Teiko_. Anzen couldn't bring himself to speak the words-any words-but the need to protect his daughter forced him to his feet and back out into the living room. Sanae was fishing around in the mechanics of the door's control panel with a bobby pin.

Anzen pushed away the image of Danuja's pale, bloodied face and instead thought about the last time he had seen his daughter: when she had begged him to save her boyfriend before disappearing into the darkness of the Moon Base's secret tunnels.

"Easy does it," Sanae mumbled. A spark, then two, flew from the control panel.

 _WHHIISSSK!_

The living pod door flew upward. Anzen thought of Kai and his vision pulsed with red as he stalked out into the sterile, eggshell-white corridor. Wherever Kai was, Anzen would find him.

All of Anzen's weapons had been taken, but it didn't matter. He would kill Kai with his bear hands. He would choke Kai to death and watch his face slowly turn blue. Or perhaps he would bloody him up a bit before snapping his neck…

Shuffling feet behind him. The kids followed. Anzen turned to face them.

"I need you two to go to the Base Force Police Office," he ordered. "You'll be safe there."

"Like hell," said Sanae. "Your men would throw me in jail—I'm a wanted criminal for fighting alongside the Guardian of the Moon!"

The memory of finding Sanae and the others in his living pod seemed so long ago. Anzen didn't care about those charges anymore. He only wanted to find his daughter. And to kill Kai. The order of events didn't matter too much.

"The Base is on lockdown. You'll be safer in jail than out here."

"That's not true."

The girl was right. Kai had walked in and out of the Base Force Police Office all these past few weeks with ease.

How could Anzen have been so blind? It was obvious now-Kai had been behind everything from the start! He had been sabotaging the Base. He had gotten into Poudretteite's mind and forced her hand using the djinn. He had even stopped Anzen from questioning Sadie right when Sadie had been about to reveal who had given her the formula for the Odyssey.

It had been Kai all along. Anzen clenched his fists, his teeth scraping together. He was so angry, he didn't even know where to start.

As if reading his mind, Masaru said, "I have a stash of weapons at my living pod. It's not too far from here."

"Take me there."

It was already a challenge to walk straight-to talk to these kids without shouting and swearing and foaming at the mouth. He didn't trust himself to keep fighting against them, trying to convince them to get to safety. His energy was better spent elsewhere.

As they walked, Anzen thought about where Teiko and Kai could be. It would be nearly impossible to find Teiko in the hidden tunnels, but Kai…

Anzen rubbed his arms. Out in the corridor, the Base was frigid. The cold seeped through his uniform and his breath puffed out in foggy wisps. Shield point B must have been destroyed, if the heat was out like this. And shield point A ran the water systems, which were out, as well. If the electricity still worked, however, then shield point C remained in tacked. That was where Kai must be heading next-where Anzen would head, too.

In Masaru's living pod, Kai shoved two handguns and a knife in his belt, a knife in each boot, and strapped a saber behind his back. He told the kids:

"I'm going to kill a man."

"Kai?" asked Sanae. Her eyes were wide. Anzen nodded and strode out the door.

"Wait!" Sanae darted in front of him. "We have no proof Kai killed Danuja—you can't just kill a man on suspicion!"

"Danuja and I knew Kai long ago, before anyone even inhabited this Base. He was always ruthless, but now…he's different. His eyes, his very _being_. It's like he's possessed. I don't suspect him. I _know_ he did it. And I'm going to stop him before anyone else meets the same fate as my wife."

"If you're so sure, then let us help you," said Masaru.

Anzen shook his head.

"Do you know what _I've_ seen?" Masaru challenged. "I've been on Mars for a year, and I've seen the chaos, the evil that you and Poudretteite and all the others are attempting to keep out with your Alpha Lunar Shield. I've seen it, and if it's in Kai, I'll know. Just let me come. If you're wrong, I won't let you put an innocent man in the ground. Someone did that for me once and I'm grateful for it every day."

"I'm not wrong, and I don't have time for this. You can do as you please but know that this is against my better judgement. And she stays."

"Like hell!" Sanae screeched again. "I may have not been to war, but I fought next to Rini when she took on Peri in the hangar. I was almost _burned_ to death. And I'd do it again if it meant protecting my home! Besides, you want me to sit in jail just so I can freeze to death? I'd rather help you save everyone!"

Anzen looked from one determined face to the other.

"We might not save everyone" he said. "We might die."

"No," said Sanae, "we are going to avenge Danuja's death—you'll see!"

Too much time had passed. They had to keep moving. Anzen simply nodded and began to walk down the corridor, the kids-rather, young adults-following behind. If he stopped, Anzen knew the grief and pain and emptiness would all catch up to him. He would keep moving, until Kai was dead and Teiko was safe. That was all that mattered anymore.

There were nearing the hangar door when a cord struck: the sound of something mechanical dying-a vibration that filled the air and drained away. The lights flickered and went out. The three found themselves in complete darkness.

"Shield point C is down!" Anzen snarled. "Kai is through here!"

Working on instinct and memory alone, Anzen navigated the darkness and burst through the hangar doors. The inside roof was open and light from the pale sunset outside washed the room in faded pink-and-orange. Dim forms could be made out, frantically calling on their dead radios for home base. Anzen's men. Base Force Police Officers.

Anzen broke into a sprint, weaving between his officers, his focus on the control room.

The culprit stood in the middle of the room, the control panel sparking behind them. Anzen's eyes widened. It was the Guardian of the Moon.

"Rini!" he shouted. "What have you done?"

The Guardian moved fast as lightening as she attempted to slip by him. He caught her, only to find his world turning upside-down as she flipped him with expert ease. He had enough sense to grab her ankle as she rushed past, but she twisted around and kicked off his grip in seconds.

Masaru closed in on her from in front, Sanae flanking the other side.

"Rini, I know Kai put you up to this!" said Anzen. "Stop protecting him. Tell me his location and we'll let you go!"

Above her pink gas mask, the Guardian of the Moon's eyes flashed as she eyed her the three pursuers closing in on her.

"Rini, Kai killed my wife." Anzen's voice cracked in grief. He had to make her see what type of man she served. "He killed Danuja. Danuja was like a mother to you. Don't you remember all those times she was kind to you when you and Teiko were growing up?"

The Guardian stiffened, then eased into an offensive stance. Star Burst. She jumped and helicoptered her kick, landing a blow across Masaru's temple and knocking him to the ground. She incapacitated Sanae with a swift punch to the nose. Sanae screamed in pain.

"Freeze!" Anzen shouted. He pulled out one of his guns. But he couldn't pull the trigger—he didn't have the heart as she ran and disappeared into the black edges of the hanger. She wasn't who he was after.

"Men!" Anzen's yell echoed around the hangar's hollow space. "Stop her! Stop the Guardian of the Moon!"

From the floor, Sanae groaned. Her hands cupped her nose.

"Are you alright?" Anzen asked Sanae. He placed a steadying hand on her shoulder.

"No!" Sanae whimpered. "I think she broke my damn nose! There is no way that was Rini—my best friend would never do this to me!"

"It's not Rini," Masaru agreed, rubbing his temple. "Rini can't fight like that. I only know one girl who can and that's Kotori."

Kai's daughter. That made sense. Had she always been the Guardian of the Moon, and had Rini been covering up for her? Or been forced to take the blame? Perhaps there was more than one Guardian. Anzen felt exhausted. He had come all the way here only to fail: the shield point was destroyed and he was no closer to finding Kai or Teiko.

Behind him, the shield point's control panel fizzed and occasionally a spark would light up the entire room. The three control room operators mumbled explanations and apologies that Anzen was not interested in hearing.

"Maybe I can fix it," Sanae murmured, dashing across the room to the shield point.

"Don't bother," said Anzen. "A djinn's magic made those shield points and only a djinn's magic can fix them."

Footsteps echoed throughout the hangar and minutes later, Anzen and his crew were joined by a number of Base Force Police Officers.

"Chief!"

"Where were you!"

"Thank the goddesses you're back. All systems have failed! Code Black!"

"Chief, there was a mass exodus of merchants and emissaries…even some of the students who had been Placed were part of the mob! We tried to stop them but they all swarmed past us."

"Goddesses." Anzen swore. "They won't be able to get out while the shield is still up! They'll crash!"

"What do you mean?" asked Sanae, but Anzen was already dashing toward the open ceiling in the hangar's center. He reached it and stared up into the dim sky, his stomach dropping through his feet as he took in the sheer number of ships that filled the Moon's atmosphere.

"Thery're in danger," he said. He felt helpless. All he could do was watch as they drifted further and further toward the deepness of space.

"Chief!" Sanae had caught up to him, along with the others. "What do you mean, crash?"

Anzen continued to look skyward. He said: "The Alpha Lunar Shield is designed to keep people both out and in. It is impenetrable and can be fatal if challenged."

"But if the merchants and emissaries were allowed in. Why can't they just leave the same way?"

"They need special permission from Poudretteite, which she hasn't given because the Base is under attack…at least, she hadn't last time I checked." Anzen felt a wild surge of hope. He had been out cold for some time, so perhaps Piudretteite had permitted everyone to leave.

Or perhaps not. Sanae let out a wail, pointing upward.

A ship far, far above them began to buck strangely in the sky before it burst into a ball of bright flames. The ripple from the explosion reached them seconds later, rumbling the hanger and hitting Anzen like a physical blow. One, and then another ship exploded as it hit the border of the Alpha Lunar Shield, and another. Shrapnel and flaming pieces flew downward and Anzen screamed at everyone to get away from the roof entrance. He grabbed Sanae and Masaru and shoved them aside just as the first of the broken pieces hit the Base.

 _Boom! Boom!_

"Back to the Station!" Anzen yelled above the chaos. He lead the way and the others all followed.


	46. Death

Act 6/Scene 6: Death

Rini, Takeshi, and Ryuu stepped out of the Moon Castle's weapon room armed to the teeth. Takeshi had given Rini back her Pink Moon Blaster and she kept the setting dialed to Sleep. A Bo Staff was slung behind her back for emergencies. A series of knives and throwing stars had been stuffed into her pockets and boots.

She cursed herself for not wearing better clothes: the waistband of her hearts-and-moons leggings was too flimsy to stash steel. But there was no way she could have anticipated the warpath the three were now on. The uniforms of the Moon Castle guards that Takeshi and Ryuu wore were much better suited for storing weapons and the boys carried extra ammunition for her within their many hidden pockets.

Still exhausted from having defeated Cin, Rini's ability to transform into Sailor Moon had become the contingency plan. Plan A was to capture Seirei's vessel. They would use the djinn's power against Poudretteite with the hope that one or the other would perish—just as Peri had when he and Cin were forced to fight. Ideally, both enemies would destroy each other.

On their way to Poudretteite's penthouse, black-clad Moon Castle guards were unavoidable. They patrolled the halls, the mural room, and paced strategically around the glass corkscrew staircase. Rini picked them off as quietly as possible with her Blaster. Shot after shot, the darts pierced the strips of neck, bicep, and thigh visible through small openings in the guards' armor. Most of the time, the victims went down without a sound.

Once or twice, Takeshi or Ryuu rushed forward to take out a guard when Rini missed her mark. The fact that the boys were dressed as guards gave them precious leeway.

No alarms went off. The group stayed focused, fast, and near silent. The loudest sound came when Takeshi and Ryuu kicked open the engraved double-doors leading into Poudretteite's penthouse.

 _CRASH!_

Rini scattered splinters as she stepped between the boys, aiming her Blaster into the massive, luxurious apartment.

No one was inside. Not even the one or two Moon Castle guards typically stationed within the room during Poudretteite's absence.

Rini holstered her gun as she moved deeper into the room. "Where's the tea set?" she asked Takeshi.

"Last time it was on that coffee table, right over there."

"Looks like it's been moved," Ryuu mumbled. He placed his fingertips on the empty, polished surface.

"It has to be here somewhere!" Takeshi began to search behind the couch and bookshelf.

As Rini scanned the room for a good hiding place, an intricately carved chest-of-drawers caught her eye. Roses and other flowers she had never seen before whirled their way around the rich wood. She tried the polished metal handles. All were locked.

"Shoot!"

"I think I can help." Stepping up beside her, Takeshi drew his handgun and shot off the top lock.

 _BLAM_!

Rini squeaked, clamping her hands over her ears. The top handle _ting ting_ -ed to the floor.

"You dumb brute!" Rini snapped. "Warn me next time!"

To Rini's surprise, Takeshi's face turned a bright shade of red. Before she could admit she had been a bit too harsh, Ryuu pushed between them to rifle through the drawers.

"Do these look familiar?" he asked, holding up a set of tall, mosaic teacups.

Takeshi nodded. "These were part of the set." His face had returned to normal except for two bright, burning spots on his cheeks. He avoided Rini's gaze.

"It looks like the other pieces are missing," Ryuu said. He gave the drawers a final look-through. "There's not much else in here besides documents and tapes. And this remote." He showed the others a sleek, square contraption and pressed its few buttons. Nothing happened. "I wonder what it goes to?"

Rini was toying with a free strand of hair, her mind still on the tea set. She said: "We've already destroyed the creamer and the sugar bowl. I'm sure wherever Poudretteite is, she took the teapot for safekeeping!"

"Right," Ryuu agreed.

"Something else about this room is different from last time," Takeshi noted. He began to pace.

"We don't have time for this!" said Rini. All thoughts of niceness had left her mind as her instincts screamed to keep moving.

Ryuu fixed her with a hard stare. "Let the man think, sis!" Rini crossed her arms impatiently but held back her retort as Takeshi stopped in front of the large painting depicting pink peonies in a shallow crystal bowl.

"Here." He jabbed his finger at the piece. "There were surveillance monitors all over this wall. They must be hidden behind the painting."

With a grunt, Takeshi began to tug at the painting. It refused to budge, even when Ryuu and Rini rushed over to help.

"This is impossible." Rini let go with an exasperated sigh.

"Stand back," Takeshi warned. He drew his sword from its hilt and began to swipe it across the picture. The image shredded to ribbons beneath the blade's touch, revealing a black backing underneath. Ryuu took out his sharpest knife and joined Takeshi in his attempt to cut it down, but the material appeared to be impenetrable.

"Idiots," Rini mumbled to herself as she stepped away. To physically move the painting was impossible. There _had_ to be some other way. _Now, where would I sit if I wanted to watch everyone?_

Her eyes fell on the green tufted couch that sat facing the painting. A minute or two of careful observation lead to the discovery of a small switch disguised in plain sight as a button on the couch's arm. Rini jammed it down.

 _Merrrrrrr…_

The boys leapt back in unison as the painting slid upward, disappearing into the ceiling.

"You're welcome," Rini chirped. But what was revealed wiped away her smirk of triumph.

There must have been fifty screens, all arranged in a neat block of rows. The screens depicted what appeared to be the entire Moon Base. The learning center, the basements, the cafeteria, the corridors to the living pods, even the rooms Rini didn't know about: all appeared to be empty. "Where is everybody?"

Takeshi saw them first: "Look! Everyone's in the hangar!" A flood of people were pressing together within the great room, held back from their spaceships by a thin line of grey-clad Base Force Police officers. "There are so many of them—the police won't be able to hold them for long!"

"What are they doing?"

"Leaving," said Ryuu. "Or trying to, it seems. Most of those people look like merchants and emissaries. They have every right to leave! So, why are the police holding them back?"

"Something bad is about to happen," Takeshi mumbled. "I can feel it."

"I wonder…" Ryuu clicked a button on the remote and the screens flickered, changing.

It took Rini half a second to realize what they were now looking at. "What in all hell?!"

It was the living pods—the living rooms, bedrooms, and kitchens. The group watched the sight in shocked disbelief. It seemed nearly every resident was locked away, lounging around their living room or sleeping in the bedroom. The Base must be on another lockdown

"They're spying on us!" Rini squeaked.

"I knew there were cameras," Ryuu murmured, "but I had no idea there were this many!"

Takeshi nodded in agreement. "I doubt the Base Force Police even know about this. We had monitors in the office but only for public places."

"This is madness," said Rini, "but we don't have time to figure it out." She felt strangely guilty for spying on her fellow residents. "We need to concentrate on the mission and find Poudretteite and Seirei's vessel. Ryuu, can you access Moon Castle surveillance?"

He flipped through a few more channels of living pod surveillance until grey-stone rooms appeared. There were the kitchens with long wooden tables, the main hall with its stained-glass, and even the guards' empty dormitories. Apparently, everybody was on active duty.

One screen in particular caught Rini's eye. A bright, cotton-candy pink light flashed incessantly, causing the picture to fizzle and crack.

"That must be her," Rini said. She stepped closer to the screen to inspect the image, and through the flashes and snow she could just make out an orderly backdrop of shelves and books. "I think this feed is from the library. I can take us there-Teiko and I passed by it on our way to the basements during the Moon Ball."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Ryuu was already halfway to the door.

It was Takeshi who hesitated. When the others looked at him curiously, he said: "Whatever Poudretteite's doing, she's using a ton of power. What if there's nothing we can do to stop her?"

"It's either we stop her or we forfeit the Base," said Rini. "So we don't have much of a choice! Let's go."

They climbed back down the glass staircase as quickly as they could, with Rini leading the way. Guards were everywhere on the second-story landing: a good sign they were headed in the right direction. Takeshi and Ryuu took the lead and blazed through the black-clad men and women like twin tornadoes while Rini followed in their wake, using the last of her sleeping darts on the few who remained conscious.

The library was behind the third door they tried. It was huge: four open stories connected by spiraling staircases and tall, rickety-looking ladders. The door they entered opened onto the second landing. Below, tables, couches, and study desks created an orderly pattern on the marble ground floor.

Poudretteite stood at a table near the center of the room, an open book and a series of crystals arranged before her. Some sort of crude symbol had been etched into the smooth surface of the table's wood and the Princess herself was surrounded by a white-pink aura that burned so bright, it was painful to look at.

The feel of the crackling energy lifted the hair on Rini's arms and made her want to send out her own magic in response—to subdue and control whatever it was Poudretteite had created. It felt so unlike Rini's own Cosmic Power.

The magic dimed for a moment and a strange chanting echoed around the library, the words ringing out in Poudretteite's sweet, girlish voice. That was when Rini saw it.

"The teapot!" she hissed to the boys, pointing.

It stood on the empty desk behind Poudretteite, alone and unguarded, its tiny mosaic tiles and mirrors reflecting the Princess's too-bright aura.

The three shared a collective nod. It was now or never. For one painful moment, the image of Diana Droid flashed across Rini's mind and she wished the robot was with her now to lead the charge. But she wasn't. Rini had to do this on her own.

Before Rini could change her mind, she slid down a latter and landed on the main floor in a crouch. Takeshi and Ryuu fell into place on either side of her.

"Princess Poudretteite!" Rini stood and aimed her Blaster at the woman's heart. "We demand that you surrender! Your reign of terror is over!"

The chanting ceased as Poudrettiete's large blue eyes met Rini's. Her power, however, did not faulter.

"Rini? Takeshi. Ryuu." Poudretteite looked at each of them in turn—spoke their names as if she knew them intimately. "You three must leave. You have no idea what you are doing."

 _Blam!_

Rini fired the Blaster. The sleeping darts had all been used so it was a real bullet that exploded toward Poudretteite.

But it never reached her. The pink magic dissolved the attack immediately, the crackling aura acting like some type of shield.

The woman slowly shook her head, her wide-brimmed picture hat moving gracefully along with the gesture. "I'm afraid your weapons have no effect against this spell. Now leave immediately. What I am attempting requires the upmost concentration."

"Like hell!" screamed Rini. "I will not stand by while you destroy this Base!"

"Destroy this Base? My dear girl, I am trying to save it!"

At that moment, the lights flickered and went out. Rini stifled a shout of surprise and squinted her eyes, refusing to let the Princess leave her line of sight. The darkness made Poudretteite's magic even brighter; it was now the sole source of light for the library and it roared hotter yet. A pink inferno that Rini and the boys refused to back down from.

"You're a liar. You're keeping everyone prisoner on this Base and you have no right to do so!"

Poudretteite looked perfectly sincere as she said: "I love this Base and Castle. Though I have only been here two short decades, this Moon is my home. I would never do anything to compromise it's safety." Then she winced, as if in physical pain. "Now please, you must go, I can't—ahh!" She stumbled and fell, supporting herself against the table. Despite herself, Rini lowered her Blaster. "The shield, they're trying to get through—"

 _Blam!_

Ryuu began to fire.

 _Blam blam blam!_

His bullets melted harmlessly away once they hit the magic shield, but still he continued to unload his weapon.

"Ryuu!"

Rini felt torn between their mission and the suffering woman in front of her. She turned to face Ryuu and saw another face transposed over his own. She knew those sun-bright eyes.

"Helios!"

A ghost of a smile, overlapping Ryuu's mouth, twisted upward.

"Now's your chance, Sailor Moon," said Ryuu in a voice that wasn't his. "Grab the teapot and use Seirei's power against her!"

The urgency in his voice drove Rini to act without thinking. She dashed toward the vessel. Poudretteite was chanting again, the words shrill as though it took everything she had to keep concentration.

The pink magic began to gust furiously, a living, raging force that swirled around the Princess. Her picture hat was ripped from her head and blew away, revealing a shining pink gem in the center of her forehead. The Princess began to float upward. Her eyes turned white, her short, curling floated as though in water, the gem gleamed unbearably bright, a living star of power.

Rini shielded her face. Light and wind tore through her and she began to scream.

Strong arms pulled Rini away from the raging spell. They belonged to Takeshi, who used his body as a shield for her own. From behind his shoulder, Rini watched Ryuu plunge into the tornado of power and head toward the lamp.

"Ryuu, don't!"

He reached the teapot and extended an arm to take it when a shimmering form appeared, blocking his path. It was tall and thin, with breasts and a bulge between its legs. Its large, feminine lips and rounded cheeks were offset by a smooth, curling beard. Its four arms each held a weapon: a saber, a knife, an ax and a spiked club. _Seirei._

"Ryuu, get out of there!"

With a dancer's grace, Seirei swung the ax and spiked club at Ryuu. He rolled away, only to be caught by the knife in his right arm. As he shouted in pain, Seirei ran him through with the saber. The blade's deadly curve exploded out his back, dripping with ruby blood.

 _NO_.

The roaring within the room fell to a whisper.

Rini shoved Takeshi off and pulled the locket from her pocket:

"PINK MOON POWER, MAKE-UP!"

The brilliance of Rini's transformation matched Poudretteite's magic. But Rini didn't think about that. She didn't marvel at the perfectly-tailored sailor suit like she had the first time she transformed. She didn't think of anything other than saving her brother.

"HOT PINK SMOOCH!"

The kiss left Rini's hand and sped toward the djinn, landing lightly on its lips. The djinn roared but didn't explode the way Cin had. It set its heavily-lashed eyes on Rini and shot forward, all four of its weapons whirling.

Rini was ready. She deflected the saber with her Bo Staff and avoided the knife. Takeshi was next to her, fending off the ax and spiked club.

The fight seemed to move in slow motion. Rini kept one eye on Ryuu, who dragged himself toward the lamp, leaving a bright trail of blood behind. His eyes still glowed gold and Rini was suddenly, painfully aware that the real Ryuu wasn't even present. He was somewhere high up in space, while his body was dying in this library without him. Being cruelly used for one final trick.

Ryuu's bloody hand curled around Seirei's teapot and flung it into the crackling magic, where it dissolved into nothing.

The djinn's scream filled the library as it crumbled away into dust.

Rini ran toward Ryuu, Takeshi hot on her heels.

She tore through Poudretteite's magical blaze and heard Takeshi shout out behind her in pain—he couldn't get any closer to the writhing magic. The wind cut, the light blinded and the heat burned, but none of it bothered Rini any longer. Perhaps that was the strength of Cosmic Power. Whatever it was, it didn't matter: her only thought was for Ryuu. She grabbed him under the arms and hauled him toward the edges of the spell.

As soon as he was able, Takeshi helped carry Ryuu behind a high shelf filled with books.

"Ryuu!" Rini grabbed her brother's hands and desperately searched his face. Those half-closed eyes still had a golden sheen.

"You three needed help," said Helios's voice.

"What have you done?" sobbed Rini. "Where is he? Bring him back!"

"He's here with me. Safe. Don't worry, Sailor Moon, this frail human body has served its purpose. Your brother's true essence exists with me now, high above the Alpha Lunar Shield. If you wish to see him again, you must destroy the shield."

"Seirei is gone! The shield _is_ destroyed!"

"It isn't. Poudretteite still holds the final key." The golden eyes faded.

Rini watched in horror as Ryuu came back. He jerked and looked around wildly, his lips struggling to make a sound, tears pouring from his eyes. Then his body went rigid as he faded away.

"Ryuu!"

From somewhere far, far away came the sound of an explosion. The library shook and Rini was dimly aware of debris raining down onto the library's main floor. She barely noticed when Takeshi threw himself over her, protecting her from the falling pieces. When he let go, he was staring upward: Rini followed his gaze and numbly noted that the ceiling had fallen in.

The air filled with dust particles, making Rini and Takeshi cough as they cleared debris off Ryuu.

Poudretteite's magic had stopped and the library was illuminated by the pink-and-orange light of the sunset sky above. Rini squinted her eyes against the remnants of floating particles and realized, with a dim start, that the sky was filled with ships and explosions. _Boom, boom!_ Sounds reverberated from off in the distance, like bombs being dropped from the sky.

Only Ryuu was in sharp and real focus, his broken body sprawled across the library's dirty floor. Those familiar lines of his face were haggard and twisted by fear. The final image of his frantic, confused stare wouldn't leave her mind. It played over and over again.

 _Your brother's spirit exists with me now._ Helios had said that, and yet Ryuu's final, wild look had said something else. Surprise, loss. Rini didn't know what to make of it.

She was squeezing his hand so hard that it hurt her own. Would he ever be able to squeeze back _? If you wish to see him again, you must destroy the shield._ Was this true? It had to be—it was all she had.

"Rini!" Takeshi's voice fought through her muffled tempest of thoughts. "We have to get out of here!"

Rini brushed Takeshi off and stood.

He grabbed her arm. "Help me with Ryuu. We can get away now if we hurry!"

She turned the force of her gaze on Takeshi and he paled. "I have no intention of getting away." He released her as though she were blazing hot.

She didn't know what it was he saw in her face. She didn't care. Nobody would keep her from bringing her brother back.

Rini raised her arms, feeling loss, sadness deep and unending, and rage aimed at everyone and everything. She spoke a spell that filled her heart and stepped out from behind the bookshelf, Cosmic Power cracking and leaping around her like lightning. It was all for Poudretteite, all to be directed like an arrow through the Princess's heart.

"BROKEN HEART REVOLUTION!"

The magic burst from Rini and she knew it was more powerful than any spell she had used before. It flew, straight and true, toward the Princess, who still glowed with the remnants of her own spell. To Rini's horror, her Cosmic attack was waved aside by a casual gesture from Poudretteite.

"The Alpha Lunar Shield has been reinforced," said the Princess, "but at what cost?" She was crying, same as Rini. The look in her blue eyes was wild and desperate. "My friends are dying above us, but I cannot let them leave! I must sacrifice the few to save the many. I wish such a choice wasn't mine. I know you are upset, little Rini, but sorrow and loneliness are the curse of the powerful. Now, I must go and try to save the rest. I suggest you return to your living pod and hold tight to your parents while you are still able to. I hope that one day you will understand what happened here."

With that, Poudretteite looked upward, her gem shining from the center of her forehead. She floated up and into the sky, toward the spaceships and explosions, leaving Rini and Takeshi far down below to clean up the mess left behind.


End file.
